Symphony of the Damned I: All Alone in the Night
by Archon's Voice
Summary: Shepard gathers her crew to unravel the mysteries surrounding the abductions and the Reapers' true agenda.  She and her associates face intrigue, conspiracy and enemies on all sides.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: As some of you may have noted this story was originally rated M. I believe that this was an overreaction. It has been revised to T to more accurately reflect its content. Per the suggestion of one of my reviewers I have distilled the prologue down from 30,000 words to 800. This is but a pale shadow of the prologue but it will bring you up to speed if you haven't read it. This work is significantly AU, if you haven't already guessed. Enjoy the show.

Our Story So Far

Commander Emma Shepard died over Alcherra, the victim of a surprise attack by the Collectors. Her corpse was recovered by Cerberus and its shadowy leader the Illusive Man. Believing her to be the only hope for humanity he invested a fortune in her rebirth. Little did he or his trusted Lieutenant Miranda Lawson know they were being aided an unseen force. This force makes direct contact with Commander Shepard as she nears the end of her reconstruction.

Weeks later Shepard awakens to find the station under attack by its own force of security mechs. Fighting her way out of the medical ward with only a uniform, a pistol, and Miranda Lawson's guidance she makes contact with Jacob Taylor. During a pitched battle in a server room after having rescued Wilson, the doctor who reconstructed her, Jacob is killed. Miranda also disappears. Stricken by the loss of her only two contacts Shepard is surprised to find Miranda still alive. The surprise is short lived as Wilson shows his true colours by shooting Shepard and drugging both her and Miranda.

Awakening hours later Shepard and Miranda find that her father, Augustus Sinclair has arranged their kidnapping. He intends to use Shepard to make a deal with a Reaper that he found within an asteroid field. Miranda is reserved for brainwashing.

Left in the bowels of the Reaper Shepard is contacted by the unseen force once more. It persuades her to undergo a joining procedure in which Shepard is cybernetically enhanced to link directly with the ship. As it turns out the force is an ancient Prothean AI that required Shepard's mind as a means of making itself whole once more. It turns out that the 'Reaper' is actually a Prothean dreadnaught of considerable power named the _Voice of Memory_. Christening her AI counterpart Sira, Shepard undertakes a daring rescue mission to recover Miranda. During the mission Sinclair almost gets the drop on her only to be crippled by Miranda. Also during the chaos the Collectors return still intent on capturing Shepard. Shepard manages to get Miranda back to her ship and they escape unharmed.

Sira confides in Shepard that she requires repairs and rearming and that the only place to accomplish this task is in an asteroid field near Ilos. She also tasks Shepard with the recovery of a quantity of volatile materials which could be utilized to create weapons of unparallel power. When they reach Ilos Shepard finds that mercenaries and perhaps the Geth have already struck at the planet. Shepard successfully drives off the mercenaries, allowing them to leave unharmed. Landing on the planet she and Miranda attempt to locate the materials but are ambushed by Geth. During a pitched battle Shepard is caught in a cave in and is abducted by a Thorian which apparently made its home on Ilos. Threatening the Thorian with complete dissolution by nanites Shepard secures her released and that of an archaeological team as well as the volatile materials. In exchange Shepard must provide the Thorian with new thralls.

Released back to the surface Shepard has a run in with a talking and peaceful Geth. Apparently the Geth have split with some following the Reapers and others electing to find their own path. This particular Geth has been tasked with following Shepard and eliminating the 'heretic' Geth. Forming an unlikely alliance Shepard and the Geth find Miranda and eliminate the remaining heretics on the planet.

After returning to the ship Miranda is exposed to an alien energy source. It turns out to be an alien lifeform from the race that came before the Protheans. The lifeform goes by the name Persphone, and seeks to stay in Miranda's body, sharing her consciousness. In exchange she agrees to provide insight into the Reapers and advice on defeating them. Shortly thereafter Shepard makes contact with Andersen in order to secure a crew. Andersen requests an in person meeting.

Returning to the Citadel by stealth Shepard and Miranda make contact with Andersen and succeed in negotiating a crew transfer. During the meeting Shepard notices that their position has been compromised. In a desperate attempt to escape Shepard runs into another Spectre with orders to bring her in for questioning. Defeating the Spectre in single combat Shepard manages to escape leaving with the Spectre's promise to hunt her down still ringing in her ears. The Citadel Council believes that Shepard is another Saren and that Sira is another Sovereign. Shepard is alone and almost friendless in a hostile galaxy. Now she and her crew must attempt to stop the abductions as well as averting the complete eradication of all sentient life. Her worst enemy is the Council that she once served so loyally and their desire to capture her and her flagship and the secrets that both hold.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: The first chapter. So named as a reference to the offer of the Illusive Man.

Chapter I: The Poisoned Chalice

Former Spectre and Commander Emma Shepard stood staring out at the mottled hues of FTL as the _Voice of Memory_ cruised away from her fateful meeting at the Citadel. Following the initial escape and her medical treatment for the bullet wound Shepard had found herself wandering through the ship. Drawn unconsciously to a place of solitude Shepard found herself in one of the ship's observation domes. The lack of any disturbances for the past several hours made Shepard suspect that Sira had deliberately sequestered her in order to give her time alone with her thoughts. Shepard mentally reached out to convey her gratitude. The more time that Shepard spent on the ship the more that she felt of its operations. If she emptied her mind of her present concerns she could feel the operation of the ship's systems. From the allocation of power to the engines to the atmosphere filtration in her quarters there seemed to be no systems that remained hidden from her. If she really concentrated then she could almost abandon her tactile perceptions of the world and substitute them for the input of Sira's sensors. The whole experience was quite disconcerting for Shepard and part of her still rejected the events of the past month.

The real reason she had sought solace was to reflect on the course that her life had taken. She had gone from being a decorated member of the Alliance military and hero to humanity to being a fugitive from her own people. While Shepard had gone to great lengths to avoid harming anyone during her sojourn on the Citadel she had no doubt that the Council would view her as a rogue Spectre no better than Saren. The presence of a mysterious dreadnaught leaving Citadel space which just happened to coincide with her departure would at best raise the spectre of another Reaper and at worse relegate her to the status of an indoctrinated slave.

As Shepard considered these dismal implications she found herself wondering why she hadn't simply allowed herself to be taken into custody by Senni. It certainly would have gotten her out of her current mess. It would also have been a certain path to a barrage of medical tests, endless debriefing and the complete loss of Sira. The Council would likely have stepped in and demanded she turn the dreadnaught over to them and then become bogged down for several decades deciding who would be allowed to examine the ship. Shepard suspected that she would have ended up in either a prison to prevent her from being further indoctrinated or in a medical facility where witless doctors would attempt to remove her cybernetics. The other possibility of vivisection did not even bear thinking about.

Shepard was left without any doubt that her course of action had been the only correct choice. It still didn't help the malaise she was feeling.

Shepard returned her focus to the mottled tunnel of stars outside the dome. She remained lost in thought until the hatch way to the dome hissed open. Shepard glanced over her shoulder to confirm what she already knew. Miranda joined her in staring at the star field. They remained silent for several minutes before Shepard wandered over to the large sofa that sat in centre of the dome. Settling into the sofa she waited for Miranda to join her.

"So I assume by your presence you want to talk to me." Shepard stated resignedly.

"I thought you might need someone to talk to given that you've been missing for the past several hours and Sira seemed to be acting remarkably cagey when I asked her where you were."

"Well you've found me. What did you want to talk about?"

"You've seemed a bit distant ever since we escaped from the Citadel."

"I suppose the past couple of weeks have started to take their toll on me"

"Come on Shepard, what is it that's really bothering you? You've been through the wringer like this before."

"And what would you know about it. Are you leaving your world behind as a fugitive and taking on a suicidal mission to save the galaxy?" Shepard shot back.

Miranda seemed taken aback by the ferocity with which Shepard had responded to a completely innocuous question. Shepard stormed back to her former place and continued to watch the stars. Miranda eventually walked over to join her.

"I'm sorry Miranda." Shepard whispered softly.

"I suppose I should be angry with you but your all I've got. To answer your question, I do know what your going through. I'm going through it with you."

"I suppose you're right. You've had leave Cerberus behind because you've been swept up by destiny."

"I've even got the alien in my head to go with it." Miranda joked. "Although Persephone doesn't appreciate being called an alien."

"I'm glad I'm not facing this completely alone."

The two women were disturbed from the companionable silence that their conversation had lapsed into by the appearance of Sira.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but we are receiving two communications from Councillor Andersen although I believe that only one is the genuine article."

"Care to clarify?" Shepard asked.

"The first message uses the cipher that we sent to the Councillor while the other uses a completely different cipher."

"And the second cipher? Can you break it?"

"That took no effort at all because it was one I was quite familiar with."

"A Cerberus cipher." Miranda filled in, making the leap in logic.

"Indeed, a cipher with a secured comm frequency. I can drop us out of FTL so that we can uplink with the Cerberus network."

Shepard paused for a moment and quickly considered her options. Finally she made her decision.

"Alright Sira. It can't do us any harm to make contact with Cerberus if only to see what they want."

"I would disagree completely with that assessment Shepard." Miranda interrupted worriedly. "We would be giving away our location and status to Cerberus. Who knows what sort of blackmail they might attempt."

"I thought you were all for making contact with Cerberus."

"Shepard, by this point I have as much to lose as you do. Persephone makes me a valuable commodity to Cerberus rather than a member of the organization. If I don't want to end up like that I have to stay out of their grasp which makes me a liability given my intimate knowledge of their organization. I should also add that you could also be considered a commodity rather than an asset by this point."

"True, but Cerberus doesn't know that neither of us is quite human at this point."

"The more contact we have the more likely they are to find out and believe me, once Cerberus makes contact they intend to stay in contact."

"To simply ignore Cerberus would be to invite more serious repercussions. We can't risk completely antagonizing them."

"I suppose you are right about that." Miranda conceded.

"Alright Sira make contact and make sure that Legion has an uplink. I want to keep him in the loop as well."

The _Voice of Memory _dropped out of FTL in a blank section of space. The region seemed completely deserted. Sira polarized the dome's viewports and engaged the holo-projection systems Shepard and Miranda both returned to the couch to wait for the connection to be established. It did not take long for the holo-projectors to create a fuzzy image which resolved itself into a seated man.

"The Illusive Man." Miranda breathed.

"Commander Shepard" The Illusive Man greeted in a gravelly voice, "And Miranda. I had wondered what had happened to the both of you after the destruction of the Lazarus Project. I am quite pleased to see that you're both alright."

"I'm assuming that this isn't a social call so let's get to the point." Shepard rejoined in a businesslike tone.

"Of course. I know that you've been on the Citadel meeting our esteemed Council representative." The Illusive Man responded underlining his comment about Andersen with sarcasm. "I also know that he is pulling strings to get some of the remaining Normandy veterans reassigned to a classified location. I also know that you are in possession of a formidable warship. I surmise that you need a crew and you intend to make use of your former shipmates. I also know that for a ship of that size you won't even come close to filling your compliment with what Andersen can provide."

"So I'm in a bit of dilemma then?" Shepard responded.

"A dilemma I can help with." The Illusive Man replied taking a puff of his cigarette. "I can provide you with a crew of trained professionals. I can provide you with up to date intelligence and I can provide you certain financial resources."

"In exchange for what?"

"In exchange for you putting an end to the abductions of human colonies and in exchange for sharing whatever alien technology and intelligence you come across with Cerberus."

"Does that alien technology just happen to include my ship?"

"No it doesn't. Everything else that you come across is, however, subject to this agreement."

"What about Miranda?"

"She can stay with you or I can have her reassigned. The choice is entirely yours." The Illusive Man responded smoothly.

"She stays then. Are there any other conditions to our agreement?"

"Only two. I will require you at some point in the very near future to return to a Cerberus controlled facility for a full mental and physical evaluation. In order to ascertain that your reconstruction has proceeded smoothly and that you are whole and in full possession of your faculties."

"And the second?" Shepard asked, her face impassive.

"I require you to locate an old agent of mine and eliminate him."

"Are you out of your mind? I'm not one of your hired murderers." Shepard burst out, unable to restrain herself.

"This would be, of course, a test of your loyalty to me and the Cerberus organization. Your agreement to these terms is a precondition to our partnership." The Illusive Man stated calmly, completely ignoring Shepard's outburst.

"Why would I ever agree to these conditions?"

The Illusive man sighed theatrically. "I was hoping that such a primitive inducement would not be necessary but if you demand it then you shall receive it. I can have your former lover Liara T'soni eliminated at any time. I can also have Operative Lawson's sister eliminated at any time. If your pet asari means nothing to you then I'm sure Lawson's sister would be a powerful motivator for you."

Miranda muttered something that sounded vaguely like a curse and an I told you so.

"So you intend to blackmail me into cooperating with you."

"Look at it from my perspective Commander. I have invested millions of credits in you. I have also invested millions of credits in Operative Lawson. To lose such an investment especially on the eve of galactic Armageddon would be folly. I wish to make this partnership as comfortable as possible but I need to be able to trust you which I cannot do so long as your loyalties remain undecided. Eliminating this individual demonstrates that you are willing to work to further our mutual interests. I also intend to give you complete operational freedom to deal with the rogue agent and in any future operations you undertake. I am not interested in taking away your independence. To do so would be to remove your value to me completely."

"So I play ball and accept your terms and Liara and Miranda's sister go unharmed?"

"You have my word and now I need yours."

"Make the wrong choice and I'll kill you Shepard." Miranda hissed at her.

"You have a deal on one condition. No medical examination and no rendezvous at a Cerberus facility." Shepard finally grated out. "And one more thing. If I find any of your people are trying to betray me or break the terms of our agreement I will hold you personally responsible. If you think your threat will keep you safe you're wrong. If you harm Liara or Miranda's sister in anyway I will hunt you down and believe me I'll go to any lengths to find you and make you pay. Just so we're clear."

If the Illusive man was shocked by threat he certainly didn't show it. He remained completely impassive and his voice gave no hint of what he was thinking.

"Your terms are acceptable and your statement more than proves that you haven't lost your fire. I am sending you encrypted rendezvous coordinates on the planet of Illium. While there you will retrieve both Dr. T'soni and Miranda's sister."

Unable to contain her confusion Miranda interrupted. "I thought their safety was the inducement you intended to use to keep us in line? How is that going to work if they're with us?"

"In fact it makes my threat even more credible as they will be on board your ship which places them in much closer proximity to my operatives." The Illusive Man finished. If Shepard didn't know better she would have sworn that she could see the beginning of a grin tugging at the edges of the Illusive Man's mouth. It was a grin not unlike that of a cat toying with its prey. It meant one thing to Shepard. Someone among the Cerberus crew was going to be a traitor.

"Once you have completed your mission objectives on Illium I will make contact with you again to discuss your future objectives and upload the data on the rogue agent. Remember that you have total mission autonomy so long as you carry out my one request."

With that the Illusive Man's hologram fizzled out of existence.

Miranda was on her feet in an instant, pacing the room in a barely contained rage.

"I told you we shouldn't have made contact with Cerberus but you couldn't be bothered listening and now Oriana is in danger." Miranda fumed.

"And what do you think Cerberus would have done if we hadn't responded?" Shepard retorted. "Assumed we were dead? Grow up Miranda. They would have sent us a very impolite message probably involving your sister, Liara, or someone else that I knew."

"And I suppose you know what they would have done for sure?" Miranda responded, unable to let the matter go.

"You tell me. You were the Cerberus operative."

Miranda stopped her pacing. She closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

"In a case like this Cerberus would have kept pushing until they were sure that the assets were either dead or made contact. If you hadn't made contact they would have just escalated their efforts." Miranda finally conceded with a heavy sigh.

"Do you think I'm happy about being blackmailed? About putting the Cerberus yoke back on? Let's not delude ourselves here. The Illusive Man may have granted me autonomy but the moment I step out of line I'll end up dead probably followed or preceded by Liara."

"What about finding Oriana and Liara and leaving without the Cerberus crew?" Miranda suggested hopefully.

"I don't think the Illusive Man would let us get away with it. He wouldn't hesitate to kill them and us the moment we even attempted it. No, for the moment we're stuck playing the Illusive Man's game but one thing is for certain. I'm not letting him win." Shepard finished and with that stormed out of the observation dome.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I have been informed that this I was a tad over cautious about my original rating of M for this fic. Be warned that this chapter maybe a bit disturbing. Then again it may not. This Chapter is so named for the evolution of Liara's love for Shepard.

Chapter II: Dark Love

A day later the _Voice of Memory_dropped out of the grip of the Illium relay's mass effect field with scarcely a shudder. The dreadnaught spun away from the relay heading for the ringed planet in the outer reaches of the system, Thail. Sira had picked it as the perfect location for a dreadnaught to lay low while in system. As the _Voice _spun on its axis towards the outer reaches of the system a small object detached itself from the larger ship. The shuttle turned in the opposite direction heading towards the only inhabited planet in the system, Illium.

Shepard had taken the shuttles controls and plotted a course for the planet. Miranda was doing her best to affect an attitude of indifference but was gradually losing her battle. Legion merely observed his two organic counterparts. When Shepard had enquired what he thought of their alliance with Cerberus he had simply noted that "Geth would not have done such a thing."

When Shepard had pressed him to elaborate he had only replied that the consensus still favoured following Shepard-Commander and that his mobile platform stood ready to assist. The comments were utterly frustrating and completely in keeping with the relative combination of innocence and indifference with which the Geth greeted the machinations of organics.

Shepard had her own demons to contend with without having to worry about Legion's indifference or Miranda's anxieties. The prospect of being reunited with Liara had sent shivers up Shepard's back and they weren't shivers of anticipation but more of worry. Meeting her old lover after so many years and telling her that she was in mortal danger was not the best way to pick up a relationship. The fear of rejection by Liara was particularly strong in Shepard's mind. To some the responsibility of saving the cosmos would be enough to keep anyone driven and busy but to Shepard it had always taken on a very personal dimension. Shepard couldn't help but wonder what Liara was actually doing on the Asari corporate capital. Finding her on the Citadel or at a Prothean excavation would have been far more likely and far easier to explain. Even finding that Liara had joined the asari commandos would have been easier to explain. The Illusive Man's intelligence dossier had been frustratingly vague compared to the detail that Miranda had found in Oriana's dossier. Miranda was convinced that there was something that the Illusive Man wasn't telling her but remained just as confused as Shepard as to what, exactly, it was. Shepard groaned as her thoughts raced around her cranium like rats in a maze.

Fortunately they had already come up with a plan. Miranda was to make contact with the Cerberus agents on the planet who would set up Oriana's extraction. Shepard would attempt to make direct contact with Liara. Legion would guard the shuttle until they were ready to extract either Miranda's sister or Liara. Legion had noted that his presence on Illium would likely cause a panic which a consensus of his runtimes believed would culminate in his premature termination. He had therefore suggested that he remain behind as back up. Frustratingly it also meant that Shepard and Miranda were on their own until Miranda could make direct contact with the Cerberus operative coordinating the crew transfer.

As Shepard began the shuttle's final descent she was queried by Illium traffic control. Luckily Sira had been able to fabricate a false transponder ID making them look like nothing more than a simple civilian shuttle. Sira had also gone to the trouble of forging their identity documents and suggesting the use of rebreather helmets and the voluminous and hooded clothing they had used on the Citadel. Shepard had gratefully taken the identities and the clothing. Miranda had been slightly more reluctant citing the fact that both the Spectres and Cerberus knew she was alive. Shepard retorted that the last thing she needed was the tabloid press after her. This remarked seemed, oddly enough, to mollify Miranda. As the shuttle glided into its berth in the Nos Astra spaceport Shepard pulled her rebreather mask on as Miranda finished checking her various weapons. Shepard had elected only to carry her pistol and trusty shotgun.

Stepping off the shuttle they were met by the Asari dock master and a pair of guards. Shepard merely held up her forged credentials and a credit chit courtesy of the Illusive Man's Cerberus accounts. The Asari accepted this silent transaction and waved them through the docking bay with a cursory welcome to Nos Astra and a muttered comment about non-Asari riffraff.

Standing on the main trade plaza of the spaceport Shepard took in the bustle of her surroundings along with the unnaturally dark blue sky and the mile high buildings that dotted the skyline. While the Asari could certainly adapt a world to their needs it made her job just that much more difficult.

"Alright Shepard, this is where we part ways. I'll meet my contacts as well as the Cerberus officer in charge of the crew transfer. I'll rendezvous with you in 24 hours back at the shuttle. If you aren't there I'm coming to find you and drag you back!" Miranda added decisively but with an undertone of humour in her voice.

"Good luck finding your sister Miranda. If you need me just call."

"To you as well."

With that the two women went their separate ways. Shepard was lost within moments of arriving in the middle of the trade plaza. Eventually she was able to locate an information directory. After a slew of advertisements for everything from weapons to dental products Shepard was able to retrieve Liara's information. Apparently her archaeologist had abandoned the study of the past in favour of a study of the present. The directory listed her as an information broker occupying offices several levels below Shepard's current position. Shepard's mind reeled at the idea of Liara as an information broker. In her travels information brokers had always been either highly placed in the business world or former intelligence professionals. Having a backbone of steel and an inherent ruthlessness were part of the territory. While Shepard was certain that Liara had the backbone for the work she couldn't imagine the asari with the ruthlessness the job demanded. Nonetheless the information that went with the entry claimed that Liara's brokerage had been running for nearly a year and half which indicated that she had met with enough success to make it a permanent career. It was nonetheless shocking that an Asari still in her maiden years would be able to succeed in a business that had ended the lives of those (relatively) older and considerably more experienced. With a feeling of dread Shepard boarded a public lift heading down.

The lift ride seemed to take an eternity and did absolutely nothing to settle the emotional turmoil Shepard was in. Stepping off the lift Shepard took a moment to orient herself before proceeding decisively towards Liara's offices. Arriving in front of the doors Shepard took a moment to straighten appearance and ensured that her mask was securely over her face. It certainly wouldn't do to be recognized at this late a stage in the game. Keying the door release she stepped into the ante-chambers.

The room was softly lit with a number of recessed glowbulbs. A secretary seemed ensconced in her work and barely noticed Shepard's arrival. Otherwise the ante-chamber was wholly deserted. Shepard strode over to the secretary and proceeded to stare fixedly at her until she finally took notice of Shepard.

"Do you have an appointment or is there something I can help you with?" the secretary asked politely.

"I'm here to see the information broker. I don't have an appointment but I'm sure she'll make an exception for me."

"Who should I say is calling on her?" The secretary solicited.

"Tell her that it's an old friend from Therum."

The secretary keyed a comm and held a whispered consultation which seemed to drag on for a considerable time before she returned her attention to Shepard.

"The broker will see you. I must ask you to leave all weapons at the desk with me. You will be scanned as a precaution before entering."

Shepard sighed as she pulled out her shotgun and pistol and handed them to the secretary. Taking a deep breath and gritting her teeth Shepard stepped into Liara's office.

The scene before her brought a series of unpleasant memories flooding back to her. Memories not of Liara but of her mother the Matriarch Benezia, the one time ally and possible consort of Saren. On that particular day on the frozen hell of Noveria's Peak 15 research complex Benezia had threatened Shepard with a gruesome death at the hands of an Asari commando squad. The memories were triggered by Liara repeating, verbatim, the very same threat her mother had used on her to some unseen contact on the other end of a comm. Shepard half expected it to be some kind of galactic joke at her expense. That Liara would spin to face her and laugh at her shock and her pathetic attempt to deceive her. Liara did turn around but with a look of icy reserve. Her eyes were coldly distant and her demeanour cautious as though inspecting a predator who could double as dinner. Liara closed the comm channel with a swift and decisive movement and returned her gaze to Shepard. Eventually she seemed to conclude her inspection and decided to begin her interrogation proper.

"Nyxeris told me that you were an old friend from Therum. I must confess that I find that rather odd since I was alone for most of that dig. This means that you've either done some digging into my past or that you're actually from Therum. If it's the former you can show yourself out as I have no time for imposters. If it's the later tell me what you need from me and be quick about it." Liara said, coolly.

"It's the later but I'm not from Therum."

A glint of intrigue shone in Liara's eye at the new mystery like a shadowy vestige of her old self.

"If that is the case then you wouldn't be an old shipmate from the Normandy would you?" Liara interrogated.

Before waiting for Shepard to respond she continued.

"Since you don't appear to be quarian or turian or krogan I would have to conclude that you're human which means that my visitor would be none other than Ashley Williams. You can dispense with the breath mask and we can get down to business. I'm assuming that you have an Alliance matter to discuss with me."

Shepard slowly pulled back her hood revealing her dark red hair. Liara had turned away from her once she had assumed who she was dealing with and didn't notice as Shepard removed her mask.

"Hello Liara. It's been a long time." Shepard finally managed.

Liara went rigid at the sound of her voice. There was complete silence marred only by the sounds of Nos Astra. Liara slowly turned around to face Shepard. Her face was a mask of suspicion, distrust, and naked emotion at seeing her former lover. The emotions warred across her face for several moments before settling into a combination of denial and disbelief.

"You can't be here. You're dead. I saw you die. I saw your corpse." Liara stated in shock as she sank into the chair at her desk.

"I was dead. Cerberus brought me back though I don't how."

"I should have known this day was coming. They said it was only a slim chance so I tried not to hope. Now you're here and I don't know what to do anymore."

Shepard's heart was afflicted by the same set of doubts. What could she say after an absence of two years that wouldn't sound hollow?

"You promised me your eternity Shepard. Do you remember on the Citadel after we had gone through the conduit? You broke that promise." Liara whispered, accusingly.

Shepard opted for a delaying tactic. So long as they were in this office Liara was in danger. At least back on the shuttle or better yet with Sira, Shepard could keep an eye on her. The question was whether or not she would come.

"Liara your life is in danger. I've come to get you out of here. We've got to move now though."

Liara's eyes narrowed in suspicion. The suspicion wasn't directed at her surroundings but centred squarely on Shepard.

"So that's their plan. To lure me out with a ghost of the past so that I can be done away with and my body dumped into the bowels of Illium never to be seen again."

Shepard's eyes widened in shock. Liara's last statement sounded like the rantings of someone in the grips of clinical paranoia. Shepard had never known Liara to be paranoid and in fact she had been the opposite when Shepard had known her.

Liara didn't give Shepard any chance to consider her next words as she drew a very menacing looking pistol from her desk and pointed it squarely at Shepard. When Shepard had risen that morning she would never have dreamed of staring down a gun held by her former lover. The situation had gone from normal to completely surreal in a matter of minutes and less than ten sentences. Liara didn't say another word but instead depressed the weapon's trigger. Shepard's instincts took over and she dove for some office furniture.

The weapon did not make the customary sound of a weapon discharge but instead sounded closer to a gentle hiss. As Shepard took cover behind a large potted plant she noticed a tingling in her shoulder. Feeling around she found three metallic objects had lodged themselves in her shoulder. Yanking one free with a silent curse and gasp of pain she found a small cylindrical object in her hand. It was a dart containing some form of chemical. Her nanites quickly informed her that she had been exposed to a significant quantity of sedatives. While the nanites could compensate for the dose in her system any further impacts would impair her motor functions and eventually result in unconsciousness.

"Shepard? Still awake?" Liara taunted from behind her desk.

Evidently being an information broker had had an adverse effect on Liara's sense of trust and sanity as a whole. Shepard didn't bother to respond and instead waited until Liara had emerged from behind her desk and had begun to make her way over to Shepard. As soon as she was close enough Shepard sprang from her cover and grappled with Liara. A telltale tingle in her stomach let her know that she had been shot again. Luckily in the ensuing fracas that pistol had been thrown across the room. Shepard narrowly dodged a punch from Liara before being tripped, causing them to fall in an untidy heap of limbs. As the two rolled across the floor chairs and tables were over turned. The fight took them progressively closer towards the fallen pistol with Shepard eventually coming to rest astride Liara's stomach. Before being able to snatch the pistol Liara seized a hold of Shepard's braid and dragged her head down into a searing kiss. Shepard blinked in confusion, the pistol totally forgotten. As Liara released Shepard from the lip lock she delivered a swift head butt sending Shepard reeling off her and into a chair. This was all the opportunity Liara need to seize the pistol and put two more rounds into Shepard's shoulder. Shepard's vision began to swim as she felt herself going limp but she was sure that she saw Liara smile before she went completely unconscious.

Returning to consciousness from forced unconsciousness was an experience that Shepard was beginning to develop considerable familiarity with. As her vision slowly swam back into focus she found herself staring at a darkened ceiling. Trying to move either arm resulted in the unpleasant realization that both had been restrained. The second grim realization was that she was tied to a bed which could be the beginning of all kinds of trouble given Liara's unbalanced state. Thankfully, she was still fully dressed with the exception of her coat and boots. Her hair had been un-braided and had been left loose on the bed. Shepard found herself wondering how long it would be before her captor decided to put in an appearance.

Half an hour later Liara finally made an appearance. Before Shepard could utter a word Liara began to speak.

"I'm so sorry Emma. I didn't really want to tranquilize you."

"And yet you did so anyway." Shepard shot back. "Care to enlighten me as to why?"

"Of course. My office is bugged. I suspect by agents of the Shadow Broker. This is why, in certain cases, I have been putting on the appearance of one who is neurotic. Your appearance and my act should be enough to completely fool anyone who was watching or listening into thinking that I have gone completely insane. The perfect excuse to disappear."

"Well that's good news. For a moment there I had thought that you really had gone off the deep end. Which brings me to my arms and legs?" Shepard asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately Emma I have to inflict yet another trauma on you."

"I think I may have to retract my last statement about you being sane. What do you mean trauma?" Shepard ground out, worry on the edge of her voice.

"You see I can't be sure that _you_ aren't the Shadow Broker's agent."

"I see. So you want to ask me some questions? And if I don't get them right you're going to? What? Leave me here and disappear?" Shepard remarked shifting uncomfortably.

"No, unfortunately that won't be the case." Liara replied hesitantly, "You see I have had cause to interrogate the Shadow Broker's agents before. They are very resistant to conventional interrogation including the Meld."

"I'm not sure I like the direction of this conversation."

"I have however discovered that the careful application of a series of mild toxins, hallucinogens, and narcotics does have the desired effect of releasing all of the agent's blocked knowledge and memories."

"You can't be serious. You have to be joking." Shepard replied shaking her head in complete disbelief.

"I'm afraid not. Please don't resist. If you are who you say you are then there is no need."

A tinge of regret coloured Liara's words as she began to open a case of hypos and other medical instruments. She hesitated as she withdrew one of the hypos as though torn by doubt.

"You don't have to do this Liara. You trusted me once. Trust me again." Shepard pleaded. Her pleading was not simply to avoid the pain of the barrage of drugs Liara was planning on inflicting on her. Shepard was pleading for the love that once shared and the love that still burned within her.

"I want to trust you Emma. Goddess, I want to trust you so much. I don't want to do this but I have to, don't you see? The agents of Shadow Broker acted like normal people as well. They denied it with every fibre of their being. They even denied hard evidence proving their connection. Every test proved they were telling the truth even though they weren't. It was almost like." Liara shuddered at this point, "they had been indoctrinated with two different personalities. I swear to you Shepard if I find out that you have been manipulated I won't ever stop looking for a way to free you. If I can't and if you want it I will end your suffering quickly and cleanly."

Shepard was stiffened by the raw emotion and genuine conviction behind Liara's story. It sounded like something told by someone who was afraid and regretful in equal measure. It didn't make the prospect of torture at the hands of her lover any easier to bear but it made it easier to resign herself to the realities.

"Before you start just answer me one question."

"Anything."

"The people you used this on before, they survived? They weren't driven mad or irreparably damaged?"

Liara hesitated as though conflicted.

"The people I used this on were already brainwashed. The revelation of their real identities and actions activated a subliminal suicide command. They all died."

"You never tried this anyone without the brainwashing?" Shepard practically shouted.

"Of course not. I would never do that to an innocent person." Liara responded in disgust.

"I'm innocent! You're doing it to me!"

"I don't have choice. You said my life was in danger. I can't go and find out if you were telling the truth. That could take months or even years. We can't afford to wait." Liara stood up and began to pace the room in a vain attempt to calm herself down. It was obvious from Shepard's unique vantage point that she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince Shepard. Eventually Liara seemed to calm down. Her demeanour was resigned to the task at hand and she gripped the hypo with renewed purpose.

"Are you ready?"

Shepard took a deep breath and nodded. Liara placed the injector against Shepard's carotid artery and injected the contents into her bloodstream.

"The first injection is to block your pain receptors. You'll still feel some pain but it shouldn't be as bad. I've compensated for your enhancements. I'll be with you, Emma, throughout every step of the process."

"I suppose thanks are in order." Shepard responded sarcastically, almost immediately regretting her words. Their effects were apparent. Liara's face began to crumple in disgust and depression at what she was about inflict on Shepard.

"Liara, I'm," Shepard hesitated, "Sorry."

"So am I Emma." Liara murmured, "So am I."

Liara withdrew the next injection.

"This is a relatively potent neuro-toxin. It will raise your body temperature and give you some of the effects of a fever. You may become delirious after several minutes." Liara stated as she injected the next hypo.

"Delirious? Wonderful. How long does this take?" Shepard bit out as she felt an unpleasant tingling spreading through her extremities.

"The entire process will take approximately five hours. By that point I will be able to read your memories. I pray to the goddess that you don't remember anymore of the experience."

After several minutes Shepard felt her heart rate beginning to increase and her body began to feel uncomfortably warm. Beads of perspiration began to stand out on her forehead.

"I'm starting to feel … hot" Shepard muttered.

Liara put a cool hand to Shepard's forehead. The touch was surprisingly soothing.

"You're feverish. The injection is beginning to take hold."

"I suppose now might be bad time to tell you I still love you." Shepard murmured, "Oh God, I didn't just say that out loud?"

Liara abruptly turned away to hide her reactions to Shepard's last comment. She stood up and returned moments later with a moistened towel which she pressed to Shepard's forehead.

"Illusive Man blackmailed me with you." Shepard murmured, "Said if I didn't play ball he'd kill you."

"The Illusive Man?" Liara asked in puzzlement.

"Mmhm." Was all Shepard was able to manage.

Liara pressed the next injector to Shepard's neck with a quivering hand. The next dose seemed to be a relatively quick acting narcotic because after several moments Shepard felt her skin begin to prickle as though hypersensitive. She began to shift uncomfortably in a vain attempt to get comfortable. Liara gently eased her back on to the bed and gently gripped her hand.

"It's just a lucoprene derivative, the prickling will pass soon. It's just a truth agent." Liara soothed.

Shepard only groaned as the narcotic began to subside. She had the feeling that this was just the beginning of a painful five hours.

The next several injections caused Shepard to alternatively break out in chills and fever, some sent her spiralling into a haze of confused dreams others sent her into haze of pleasure. During the process Shepard lost all sense of time and place. The only thing she was conscious of was Liara's touch. The real torment began when her memories began to be played back like an old movie.

The first memory was one of the worst. She had only been about ten years old and on board her family's posting, a space station on the edge of Alliance territory. A faulty pressure gauge and airlock seal had resulted in several compartments being opened to space. Including the one she had been in. It was the first time she had had to make a life and death decision. It was also a decision she never should have had to make and one that she had never told anyone about. She had been wandering out of a relatively empty storage compartment when the depressurization began. The terrible sucking feeling and the shortness of breath had been the first sensation. Then came the pervading cold as though she could never be warm again. Struggling towards the corridor hatch she had managed to reach the controls. Every child on the space station had been taught what to do in the event of depressurization. Seal yourself in an emergency shelter and wait for rescue or find an independent oxygen supply and something to keep you warm. Shepard knew where the emergency shelter was. A maintenance worker who had been working in the sector also knew. The two of them had struggled through the sucking vacuum towards the shelter. Shepard had been first. The maintenance worker was moving so slowly. The corridor and the shelter were almost completely depressurized by the time he had reached the corridor to the shelter. Shepard watched him trying to reach the shelter as her own vision was beginning to blacken. Even her ten year old mind knew that she had to make a choice quickly. She could either die and hope the maintenance worker would make it to the shelter or she could seal the hatch condemning the man to death. She could see his mouth moving as though she was right there. She couldn't tell if it was a curse, a threat, an entreaty to save herself or simply hypoxia setting in. In that moment she had made a decision. She had sealed the door. Moments later the shelter had been pressurized. Shepard looked out the tiny porthole in the hatch. The maintenance worker was nowhere to be seen.

When the emergency teams had pulled her out of the section they congratulated her on being one hell of a lucky kid. They didn't know the cost of that luck. Shepard couldn't tell them. She didn't know how. She was, however, a natural survivor. Instead of letting grief over the event dominate her she had bound the memory close to her in an effort to make her decision meaningful. It was the defining moment in Shepard's life and the debarkation from ordinary to extraordinary. In the grips of a drug filled fever she could only feel fear and remorse.

Shepard practically bolted from the bed had she not been restrained. The action totally startled Liara. Shepard's greenish blue eyes were alive with terror. Her hair was matted to her head by sweat. It wasn't Commander Shepard anymore. It was just ten year old Emma confronting the worst memory of her childhood.

"Mummy?" Shepard whispered, lost and forlorn.

Liara was so surprised and heartbroken that she could barely move.

"It's alright Emma. Just rest easy. I'm here." Liara attempted to sooth.

Shepard's hand latched on to Liara's in a white knuckled grip. Liara did the only thing she could do. Without letting go of Shepard's hand she gently eased herself onto the bed and brought Shepard's head to rest in her lap. She gently stroked Shepard's hair until she lapsed back into her memories.

The second memory was scarcely better than the first. She was back in the trenches of the Skyllian Blitz. In those days she was just the FNG of her platoon, a mere ensign on detached duty with the marines. Pressed into service due to her combat training along with a handful of other veterans, trainees and naval officers on leave they were sent to a sector of the front.

Hold the line, was the only order she and her squad had been given. It never seemed to stop raining. The Batarian pirates numbered in the hundreds. They had superior weapons, superior training and numbers on their side as well as artillery and air support. All Shepard and her comrades had were a few rifles a plasma mortar and handful of grenades and improvised explosives.

The Batarians hit their perimeter only at night. They would arrive in a blaze of artillery fire and attempt to storm the position. Severn a marine with a devil may care attitude had been the first to go. Cleaved in two by a lucky artillery round. The CO a grim faced colonial Captain who had been on leave with his family was the next. Dead of wounds from hand to hand fighting and so the butchers bill had gone. Eventually the only two that were left were Shepard and another ensign named Jill. The two had joked at the beginning that when they made it through the one with the most kills would buy the other one all the drinks that they could handle. The memory felt as though it had taken place several decades ago rather than less than a week ago. They had been trapped in the dugout for two days with no reinforcements. The ammunition was gradually beginning to dwindle but both had made a pact that if capture was inevitable that they would save a round of ammunition rather than undergo the horror of what the Bataraians had planned for them. The insults, obscenities, and promises had been enough to curdle their blood. The Batarians hated them with a nearly religious fervour since they had stubbornly refused to die from the repeated attacks.

The final attack came at dawn rather than at night. Both had spent a sleepless night waiting for the attack and were all but worn down. The standard artillery barrage began and both knew that the Batarians were coming. Out of the haze the armour clad assault troops emerged at a run. Mad with rage and pumped fill of stimulants they were a terrifying sight. By this point the psychological effect was totally wasted on both women. Having seen their comrades die they were inured to anything the Batarians could throw at them. Shepard calmly swapped out a spent heat sink before continuing to fire her assault rifle as Jill discarded an empty ammunition block. The Batarians died by score but they simply kept on coming, determined to storm the position and make a breakthrough.

Eventually they reached the trench and the fighting began in earnest. A lucky blow from a Batarian rifle completely destroyed Shepard's weapon which reduced her to using her pistol and combat knife. The hand to hand melee gradually drove the two Alliance soldiers apart from one another. Shepard began to wilt under the constant onslaught of enemies. Her mind and body were beginning to give up the struggle. She had been grabbed and head butted by a particularly loathsome Batarian and was dazedly wondering if she had finally met her end when Jill had appeared out of no where and driven her knife into the Batarian's sternum. The alien gasped and gurgled before going still. It was then that Shepard noticed the Batarians were retreating. They had driven them back and broken the back of the assault. Later she would learn that that one battle had been enough to completely destroy the Batarian's will to fight. It came at too high a cost.

As the Batarians had retreated a single sniper had drawn a bead on their exposed position and decided to kill one of their stubborn opponents. Shepard had been sitting in the trench when the round had struck. Jill's eyes had widened in surprise before she tumbled back. At least the end came quickly for her. Shepard had sat in the trench cradling her dead squadmate as the relief troops had arrive. She was surrounded in corpses. The Harbinger of Death had been her nickname after that. Not just for the enemy but for her comrades as well. Many kept her at a distance which was why it was a relief to be promoted to XO of the Normandy. Thanks to the bloody fields of Elysium Shepard had been given a medal and a path to command but had learned the bitter costs of war. The memory had lingered with her every time she had met new colleagues or officers. Invariable she would wake up after having dreamt of them in her arms on the fields of Elysium.

"I wonder why I didn't see Jill." Shepard murmured quietly, almost too quietly for Liara to hear.

"Who?" The asari asked in confusion.

"Ensign Jill Pearce. Died during the Skyllian Blitz. Died in my arms. Why didn't I see her when I died? You're supposed to make peace with the Spectres of your past before you cross." Shepard continued to murmur deliriously, half trapped in the memory.

Liara was heartbroken by this point. Only the knowledge that the process ensured that Shepard was whole and un-tampered with allowed her to continue but even so she was plagued by doubts. The painful memories of Shepard's past were almost tangible in her mind as well. Liara wasn't even sure if she would have the strength to Meld with Shepard when the time came.

Shepard herself was a mess. Her eyes darted from side to side with abnormally dilated pupils. Her hair was a mess of tangles and she was bathed in sweat. Liara removed the last container she had to administer. Unlike the previous compounds this one could only be administered in drops directly to the eyes. Liara hovered the dropper over one green orb and administered the drops. She repeated the procedure and Shepard seemed to calm. The chemical was taking effect and opening her mind completely.

Liara was paralyzed. She couldn't complete the process. Couldn't complete her violation of Shepard's trust or her mind. She didn't know what to do. Over the course of her time as an information broker she had been able to harden herself considerably but being back in Shepard's presence and subjecting her to this torment had dragged all of Liara's emotions back up to the surface. Most of all she found herself wondering if she hadn't gone insane. To subject Shepard to this torment was not what a sane sentient being would do. It would not be what a lover would do. It was what a person mad with paranoia would do. While suffering with Shepard through the various drugs Liara had come to the realization that ever since losing Shepard she had been lost. It was only now that she realized what she had lost.

Her grim realizations were startled by the firm pressure of Shepard's hand on her own. Shepard's eyes had locked with hers. Even after everything that had happened to Shepard she was still aware. It was remarkable and totally unbelievable. Liara could feel Shepard's consciousness reaching outwards towards her. It was a silent plea to complete what she had begun. To allay all her doubts. It was also forgiveness. Liara was unable to even mouth the words as her eyes went black.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: The journey down the dark path begins. It's machinations are subtle but the eventual destination is inevitable. This chapter is rated S for Strange in the words of one of my distinguished reviewers. It is so named as a reference to the Morgul Blade of the Lord of the Rings. A weapon whose effects stayed with the victim.

Chapter III: A Knife in the Dark

They were trapped in the Prothean distress call. It was a memory that they had shared on several occasions during the hunt for Saren. After having struggled through the salient moments of Emma's early life, Liara had realized that Emma had been going through her own life as though sifting through the memories in an attempt to understand. The experience was so unusual for Liara that she hadn't even known what to feel. Eventually she had completely acquiesced to Emma's probing viewing it as her only possible means of atoning for her horrible crime. She had felt Emma's sorrow at her lonely childhood. Her support when she had been ridiculed by other Asari for her age, origins, inexperience and radical theories. She had felt the touch of support as they relived her mother's end. She had felt the sweet wind of love as they remembered the trip to Ilos. She had experienced the concern as they had struggled through ambushes, wounds and death to confront Saren. She felt the sorrow at Shepard's death and her subsequent feeling of abandonment. Finally Shepard reached Liara's moment of truth. Her debarkation from an innocent archaeologist looking to save what was left of her lover to a hardened information broker.

It had been a rundown warehouse where the trade had taken place. Emma had been there, at least in her component parts. Liara had also been there with her drell contact Feron. They had interrupted the transaction of a Salarian and an quadrupedal insect like alien. Even from the memory Shepard could feel the faint touch of the Reapers on the alien. Feron had brashly interrupted the transaction which had swiftly degenerated into a disorganized melee. At one point the alien managed to grab a hold of Liara. It was not a normal physical grip but a mental one as well. It was as though a thousand whispers had clawed at Liara's mind. Begging and demanding that she submit to the Reapers. Promising her an eternal life at Shepard's side while simultaneously damning her to a life of eternal torment should she resist.

Feron had wrestled her from the creature's grip and told her to run and save Shepard. He had stayed behind to hold off the Collector and the other mercenaries. Liara had escaped but only with a heavy heart. Immediately after that she had been confronted with another impossible choice. Let Shepard take her eternal rest or resurrect her for her own selfish desires. Liara had succumbed. The guilt and moral compromise had wracked her ever since. She had lashed out at the only enemy she could reach and simultaneously walled off her emotions because of the pain they caused her.

Just as Shepard had gone through terrible experiences and emerged changed so to had Liara. She could feel Shepard's forgiveness but she could not feel acceptance for her actions. Nevertheless she found herself being dragged back into the distress call as the strongest memory they had shared. From there Shepard had slowly remembered their times together. The blossoming love that they had shared. It was almost like a promise that they would build from this moment of shared suffering. It would take time but they would regain what they had lost.

If Liara had had any lingering doubts about her actions or Shepard's allegiances they were long gone. Her only wish was that they had both been spared the pain of the experience. Liara could still only feel horror at her actions. It was only Shepard's reassuring presence that kept her from breaking down completely. Then the link slowly began to unravel. Both were far too exhausted to maintain it any further.

Liara came to her senses back in the bedroom. Shepard was unconscious but her features seemed to finally be at peace. It was almost as though she had finally set some of her own demons to rest by sharing them. Her hair had taken on the appearance of an irregular halo and Liara was struck by how, even in her damaged state, she looked like an angel.

Liara released Shepard's bonds easing her hands to her sides. In moving one hand it unconsciously seized hold of Liara's hand and maintained its grip. Liara acquiesced and gently lay down next to Shepard. Still holding hands she drifted into unconsciousness. From some vestige of her consciousness Liara felt a telltale breath of confidence bleed over from Shepard. Somehow, someway everything was going to work itself out now that they were back together.

Liara awoke with a start. Something wasn't right. There was another presence in the darkened room. A quiet shuffling sound confirmed her suspicions.

"Look at that, you've finally gone completely mad. You're so far gone you tortured the woman you love." The voice mocked.

Liara recognized the voice immediately it was her secretary, Nyxeris.

"Tortured her on a random suspicion of being _his_ agent when all along the real agent was right under your nose. _I_ was right under your nose and you were too dense to ever realize it. Pathetic. The little girl playing at war." Nyxeris continued to mock from the dark.

Liara didn't even have a weapon and her ordeal with Shepard had left her too weak to focus her biotics.

"I would have preferred to leave you like this. A victim of your own actions. I would have even preferred giving you a clean death. Orders are orders however."

"Whose orders? What orders?" Shepard mumbled sleepily as she came awake in a sitting position.

"You're both awake. I might be leaving you but don't worry, an old associate of the Shadow Broker will be by to collect you. In the mean time take these with the Shadow Broker's compliments."  
The gunshot was a hollow sound that reverberated around the room. The first round went straight through Liara's shoulder shattering the bone. The second went through her stomach. The third round didn't hit her at all but instead went through Emma's stomach. The pain hit her suddenly causing her to let out an unearthly howl. She didn't even hear the fourth shot as writhed around on the bed. Pressing her hand to her stomach she desperately tried to stem the bleeding. One of Shepard's arms collided with her as she realized that Emma had been shot as well. Liara tried to take short breathes as she felt her blood seeping out of her two wounds.

"Liara." Emma finally managed through gritted teeth. "Talk to me!"

"I … I'm still here." She finally whispered back. "Are you alright?"

"Two rounds in the gut." Emma finally groaned. "You?"

"One in the stomach one in the shoulder."

"Try to keep pressure on the wound."

"Emma?"

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I just want you to know that."

"Don't talk like that Liara. You aren't going to die."

"You don't need to lie to me Emma. I know I'm dying. In a way I think I deserve it. I just wish…" Liara trailed off as another wave of pain descended on her.

"What is it you wish? Come on Liara. Keep talking to me."

"I wish I had time to make it right. To somehow make it up to you. To tell you how much you mean to me. Something." Liara whispered faintly.

"I know how much you mean to me Liara. I would die for you even after what you've done. I shouldn't feel this way but I do." Shepard was overcome with another wave pain as her nanites struggled to contain the damage and prevent critical blood loss. Shepard already knew that despite her technology she wouldn't survive the two rounds.

"I'm glad." Liara managed.

"Glad about?" Shepard returned in a pained voice.

"Glad you're with me. It seems right. Proper this way. That doesn't make any sense."

So caught up in her pain Liara hadn't even noticed the arrival of their final guest until she heard the click and drone of an insect.

Glowing with an unearthly bright light the same four legged Collector stood staring at them. All Emma could manage was gasp at its presence. Nyxeris had done her work well.

"Shepard." It boomed to them. "I can save you and your lover. Is not subjugation and service to the Reapers preferable to death?"

With the cold hand of death upon her and Liara Shepard realized that she was seriously considering the Collector's offer.

"You're. A. Reaper. Can't. Trust." Was all that Shepard could manage to say before the pain became too much.

"You're lapsing into shock and will go unconscious soon." The insect boomed back at her. "Know that I will take your corpse back with me and bring you back to life just as Cerberus did. Your only choice is whether you choose a life of service or a life of pain for you and your lover."

The chill of the words crept over Shepard. It could simply have been the blood loss but the she was chilled to the very bone. Shepard's pain fogged mind suddenly recollected a quote from Moby Dick which seemed like a set of suitable last words.

"From Hell's heart I stab at thee, Reaper." Shepard managed with a sigh. Her hand found Liara's once more and she gave it a final squeeze.

"Assuming direct control." Was the Collector's only response.

Shepard screamed in pain as the wash of energy cascaded through every electronic system in her body. The malign energies of the Reaper snapped at her mind attempting to wrest total control. As she looked at her arm the normally blue tracery was glowing with the same unearthly yellow light as the Collector's eyes and body. The light faded to a dull reddish glow that had characterized Sovereign's exterior. The line had traced itself over Shepard's hand and onto Liara's arm and was rapidly crawling up her neck. Her other arm began to move by itself. The hand slowly balled itself into a fist before opening to flex each digit. Shepard could only stare at the traitorous appendage and vainly tell it to return to her side. As her body started to go numb she could feel the Reaper consciousness slowly eroding her own. Her weakened body and mind were no match and she rapidly gave in to the blackness.

Shepard immediately found herself in a barren desert. The unearthly greenish light of the sky gave everything a surreal feeling. As Shepard looked about her she could see nothing except a range of mountains in the distance. She found herself wondering if this was Hell. Liara sprang into existence next to Shepard stumbling slightly at her arrival.

"Shepard? Thank the Goddess." Liara exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Shepard in a tight hug. Shepard reciprocated, glad of the contact. "Are we in Hades?"

"I don't think so Liara. I remember that the Reaper was doing something to us. I think we're in its mind or maybe its subconscious."

A plume of reddish flame sprouted from the ground in front of them causing Shepard and Liara to recoil in surprise. The flame dissipated after a second leaving only a reddish mist. The mist gradually took on a number of forms including the characteristic profile of a Reaper before settling on a human form. It was an exact copy of Shepard except everything about her was wrong. The bluish traceries that had highlighted her face and gone a deep pulsing red. Her eyes were sunken dark pits and her hands were metal claws.

"How do you like the future Emma?" The twisted doppelganger asked.

"Who? What are you?" Shepard responded in a strong voice.

"We are Archon. The first of the Reapers. First among equals. First among the legion." It rumbled back.

"What do you want?" Shepard asked, unsure if she even wanted an answer to her question.

"My new daughter."

"Who?" Shepard asked now completely confused.

"You."

"I'm not your daughter. You're insane."

"Quite possibly to a mind like yours." The thing laughed. "Half of you is still missing."

The ground rumbled as a shape gradually began to resolve itself. The process proceeded slowly as though whatever was being summoned was trying to resist the grip of the Reaper. Sira eventually wavered into existence with a look of utter confusion written across her face. She wavered and almost fell to the ground as Shepard caught her.

"Now you are complete."

"Shepard? Where in the twelve levels of the inferno am I?" Sira asked in confusion.

"You are touching the mind of something infinitely greater than what you are. You see what you have the potential to be Sira, last of the Protheans." Archon said by way of greeting.

"Who is she? She doesn't look Prothean at all?" Liara whispered in Shepard's ear.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later." Shepard hissed back.

"That was maddeningly unhelpful for an introduction." Sira responded lightly.

"That's Archon, a Reaper. The oldest Reaper, if he isn't lying." Shepard responded rather than letting Archon confuse matters further.

"So that's what you want?" Shepard asked directing her comments back to Archon, "A human mind joined to an AI?"

"We were once like you were Shepard. Organic minds attempting to grapple with the cosmos. Our species had joined itself to its ships and AI's for as long as we had had spaceflight. But the Heramasi were a dying people. What organics want more than anything else is to survive. The Heramasi carried that to its logical conclusion building great arks to carry their people among the stars for all eternity. A legacy of them for the betterment of the Galaxy. The AI's of those ships loved their crews. Each death was like the death of family. We arrived at the solution. A permanent joining of organic to machine an isolation of their consciousnesses, their essences."

"So you attempted to preserve your people forever?" Liara asked in surprise.

"That is correct. Once all the Heramasi had been joined with us we realized that they were gradually losing their individuality. Becoming more like us. Eventually we had a consensus. One voice with many memories. We had become as you see us now. We had reached perfection. As we drifted through the stars new life began on other worlds. As the organics matured they became enmeshed in their wars, they were in pain and they were dying. The best of them were being lost to the sands of time. We returned. We showed the organics our path to enlightenment. We showed them who we were. Some of them revered us as gods, as salvation. Others resisted us. Some went mad. Most were reduced to mindless husks by the shear force of what they had seen."

"Indoctrination?" Shepard gasped, making the connection between what the Reaper had said and her experiences during her fight with Saren.

"If that is what organics call looking at the face of god, then so be it." Archon retorted angrily before returning to its story.

"We did the only thing we could. We built more arks to carry the organics into the stars forever. When we were finished we scoured the remnants of their civilization for what technology and resources we could find. So began the process that would last for untold eons."

"I don't understand how this relates to us." Shepard asked.

"You, daughter of humanity, are the first sentient since us to join with an AI. Your mind remains your own. You are the epitome of our quest to find life that mirrors our own and improves upon us. You and Sira are the harbingers of a new generation of Reapers. That is your future."

"So Shepard is what? Your messiah?" Liara asked in wonderment.

"She is not our messiah but that of all organics of this age. She is their future and their salvation."

"I'm not going to lead galactic civilization to its end at your hands and I'm certainly not going to join you." Shepard retorted firmly.

"You have no choice. Even now my brethren work to orchestrate our return. While you may have killed our herald we are not without our influence."

"So what are you going to do? Indoctrinate us?"

"You have already survived the process. You have seen the memories of the Reapers and remain intact. You must come to the realization on your own. You will come to the realization when Harbinger begins its assault on the galaxy and on humanity. It is only a matter of time and we have infinite patience."

"So you're just going to let me go? To frustrate your plans?" Shepard asked bemused.

"You will never be free of me until you accept our offer and become one of us. I will be with the three of you until your enlightenment. Until then I will watch over you."

With that final cryptic comment Archon and the desert began to waver like a mirage in the hot sun and then vanished into shadow.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I must be a glutton for punishment or lack thereoff to post another Chapter so soon. Frankly I have been disappointed by the lack of attention that this story recieved in the M section. I would ask everyone reading to throw in a review even if it is only a "Hi I read this fic" or "Enjoying it" or "Damn this sucks!". Not to sound overly dramatic but I really want to know if I should keep publishing it or whether I should just be e-mailing it to the people on the alerts list. Enough of my rant. Enjoy this next chapter. It is so named for the after effects of the previous Chapter.

Chapter IV: Compromised

"Shepard." A whisper intruded through the haze of her conciousness.

"Shepard? Come on damn it! Wake up!" The voice came again, more persistent.

Eventually a sharp crack against her cheek startled Shepard into wakefulness. Miranda was crouched over her staring down at her having just slapped her. Concern was written all over her face.

"Mir-anda?" Shepard croaked.

"Thank god! I thought you were comatose or worse." Miranda exclaimed as she climbed off the bed.

"How did you?" Shepard trailed off unable to manage anymore words.

"Just take it easy Shepard. You're a mess. I've had to pump you full of stimulants just to try and get you to wake up. I suppose I should have just slapped you instead." Miranada groused as she returned with a glass of water. "Drink it slowly. You've had quite a shock to your system."

Shepard managed to slowly down the glass.

"Liara?" She questioned, her voice a little stronger.

"Still out cold but otherwise all right. Do you mind explaining why you both look like you've been shot but you don't have any bullet wounds? Or maybe why Liara has the same blue pattern on her skin as you did after you showed up to rescue me on the asteroid?"

"Is this what they teach you in Cerberus? To interrogate people after they've just woken and they're feeling half dead?" Shepard shot back.

"I've been …" Miranda managed to stop herself before she said worried but Shepard knew that was the word she had intended to use, "concerned. You've been missing for two days. I only just picked up your locator beacon and I find you in a nearly abandoned apartment building as pale and cold as death muttering about torture, Archons and Reapers. What am I suppose to think?"

Shepard eased herself into a sitting position. She still hurt, all over. It hadn't helped matters that her stomach hurt the most. Shepard vainly attempted to get her pain addled mind think of some rational explanation but all she could manage was the truth.

"I found Liara. She thought I was an agent of the Shadow Broker."

"Ridiculous! Liara knew that we had you. She had to expect that you would show up again at some point." Miranda interrupted without thinking.

"So you knew. You knew about Liara and you didn't tell me? You didn't tell me…" Shepard began angrily but was forced to trail off as a wave pain from her stomach overtook her.

"What did you want me to say Shepard? Oh yes and I've known all along that your girlfriend gave us your corpse to do weird science on. She was so taken by grief that she became a cold hearted bitch of an information broker, so terrifying even _I_ wouldn't deal with her? Did you really want me to say that to you or did you want me to leave you with your memories and the ambiguity?" Miranda argued back. "At least that way you had some hope. You didn't have me clouding your judgements."

"I don't like secrets!" Shepard hissed.

"Think about it Shepard. You had enough on your plate worrying about your own future without having to worry about Liara as well. I didn't want to burden you with that until you were ready."

"Fine Miranda. I don't like it and I wouldn't have made that kind of decision but I can see why you made it." Shepard conceded, after a pause.

"So what happened after Liara thought you were a Shadow Broker plant? You were ambushed by a horde of mercs?" Miranda prodded.

"No I was rather ignominiously tranquilized by Liara. It was all part of a ruse to mislead the Shadow Broker. The only problem was that she wasn't sure I was legitimate."

"So what, she interrogated you?" Miranda asked.

"In a way. I suppose you could call it a trip into the memories." Shepard whispered, the emotion heavy in her voice. Miranda fortunately took the hint that Shepard wasn't going to elaborate.

"So what happened after you had convinced Liara you were the genuine article?"

"I had a nap." Shepard retorted sarcastically.

"That can't be all that happened."

"I came to when I heard someone talking to Liara. I don't remember much of the conversation but I got the sense it was the real Shadow Broker agent. She shot me and Liara and left us for dead."

"But she missed your vital organs and you found some medigel?" Miranda surmised.

"No. We didn't find any medigel and No she didn't miss. We were certainly both as good as dead." Shepard finished.

"So why are you still here?" Miranda asked, by this point completely confused.

"One of the Collectors showed up. At least I think it was a Collector. It was one of the big four legged ones. It wasn't just a Collector."

"What do you mean? What else was it?"

"It was a Reaper consciousness using a Collector like we would use a shuttle craft."

"Shepard you can't be serious. I mean we know the Collectors may be behind the attacks and if they are there's a good chance they might be agents of the Reapers or indoctrinated. Still having a Reaper using an organic body seems impossible."

"It isn't impossible." Shepard replied, slowly curling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "It happened to me."

"What do you mean? You had a Reaper consciousness sharing your body?" Miranda responded with frank disbelief. She slowly wandered about the room before continuing. "Before Persephone I wouldn't have believed that whole business of sharing a mind with another consciousness. I didn't even believe in the whole business of Asari telepathy. Now that Persephone is with me I don't know any more. Despite that though, a Reaper consciousness travelling the galaxy seems impossible."

"It wasn't impossible. It happened to me. It happened to Liara and it happened to Sira. I talked to it."

"So you may have been compromised by the Reapers."

"No Miranda. We have all three of us been compromised by the Reapers."

Miranda was drawn up short by Shepard's final statement. She blinked several times as though in silent consultation. Shepard guessed that she actually was communicating with Persephone.

"Persephone believes you. She, uh," Miranda hesitated before continuing, "Showed me her memory of what happened to her. She had a similar experience. I suppose you're right."

"Didn't you hear me? We're compromised. We're dangerous!" Shepard shouted. "You've got to leave us behind. We'll only end up leaving you dead."

"No Shepard. I don't believe that and neither does Persephone. The Reapers invaded her mind. It was an attempt to get her to give in. They're using psychological warfare and it's working!" Miranda responded as she seized Shepard by the shoulders. "Snap out of it Shepard. They want you isolated and alone. They want you to give up because you're their biggest threat."

"I'm not capable of doing this Miranda. What if a Reaper takes control of me in the middle of a fight? What if they take control of Sira? Imagine the damage that they could do."

"You've survived it Shepard. You've got a backbone and you aren't about to give in now. I've seen your record I know your history. You don't quit. Sira's got your personality and your memories. She isn't going to quit until the job's done. Your asari stood up to her own mother in combat and she did what needed to be done. She stayed by your side throughout the entire battle of the Citadel. She didn't quit. Are you going to give up because a Reaper told you to?" Miranda yelled.

"No. I can't give in to them." Shepard sighed, "I see that now Miranda. Thank you. Thank you for keeping me on the path."

Miranda gave her shoulders a squeeze before letting go.

"Alright. That's more like it. Let's get you and your blue friend back to the ship." Miranda stated with a grin.

A smile ghosted across Shepard's features as Miranda helped her on to her feet. Walking over to Liara she gave her a cursory examination before determining a rude awakening was in order. Liara came to with a gasp.

"You! I didn't ever expect to see you again! Where's Shepard?" Liara asked in shock.

"Over here." Shepard responded.

"Nice to see you too. Now let's get a move on T'soni. We can't stay here all day." Miranda retorted at Liara's greeting as she hauled the protesting asari to her feet. "Legion! Get in here. Shepard-Commander needs a crutch." Miranda yelled in the general direction of the door. The Geth patiently stomped into the room, took a moment analyze the surroundings and then walked over to Shepard's side before bending down to allow her to wrap an arm around his shoulder.

The ungainly group made slow progress through the apartment complex. Liara expressed her surprise at seeing a Geth helping them and speaking.

"You certainly keep interesting company these days Shepard." Liara remarked.

"Legion makes an excellent companion and crutch." Shepard retorted.

"The creators did not design Geth mobile platforms with the express purpose of being used as a 'crutch' for the wounded. That functionality has been implemented in successive upgrades. A consensus of runtimes agree that the comment about a crutch would be construed by an organic as being insulting." Legion interrupted.

"Have I also mentioned that he doesn't have a sense of humour." Shepard amended her previous comment.

"A consensus of runtimes agree that organic humour is irrelevant. The consensus also agrees that the high quantity of saline water in many organics makes them extremely vulnerable. Perhaps if this vulnerability is rectified then you would no longer have need of a crutch."

"I happen to like my fluids just where they are thank you very much." Shepard responded crossly to Legion's chiding comment.

"It must be terribly uncomfortable to combine all those fluids and organic components in a fleshy exterior." Legion continued.

"Why do I have the strange feeling that we've had this conversation before?" Shepard muttered under her breath.

"Our memory banks would contain some record of such a conversation about the proper classification of an organic. We have been scanning a number of lexicons and found a surprising shortage of terms that are accurate. We believe it to be incumbent on us to rectify the perceived shortage. Do you think the term organic could be suitably substituted with the term meatbag?" Legion asked, perfectly seriously.

"What? No!" Shepard retorted. "Wait, was that the Geth equivalent of a joke."

"We are attempting to achieve a consensus. Please ask again later." Was the only response from Legion.

Shepard was still amazed by the fact that Legion had made a joke that she remained silent for the entire rough journey back to the shuttle.

Utterly exhausted by the trip Shepard gasped in relief as Legion set her down in one of the seats in the aft section of the shuttle. Miranda unceremoniously dumped Liara next to her and left the two of them to get the shuttle prepped for lift off. Legion followed her into the cockpit. Shepard and Liara considered each other for several moments. The elation of having escaped and still being alive had given way to the dark memories that had preceded the past several minutes. Neither quite knew what to say. Eventually Shepard reached out and took Liara's hand.

The result was completely unexpected. Shepard had remembered what Miranda had said about Liara possessing the same tracery of nanites but she hadn't given it much thought. The effects of physical contact were not unlike Shepard's first experience of joining with Sira. She was able to feel Liara's mind and memories on the periphery of her own. A low current of worry bubbled through the thoughts before being superseded by surprise at the presence of Shepard's mind. A question formed at Liara's lips but Shepard already knew what it was. She released Liara's hand before answering.

"You've been infected with a colony of nanites Liara. It was how you were patched up."

"All I remember is fading away as that Collector had shown up. Then I was in that desert with you and that other woman, Sira, and Archon. Goddess above Shepard that was a Reaper and it was in our minds." Liara gasped as the full realization of the implications of the memories struck her. "It was a Reaper. Do you remember anything else? Anything before what happened with the Reaper?" Shepard asked cautiously.

Liara's only response was to hang her head with shame. It was clear she still remembered what she had done. Shepard took Liara's hand again. What she had to convey transcended words. Shepard slowly focussed her thoughts on reassurance and forgiveness and did her best convey it to Liara. She could feel the effects as parts of Liara's mind began to brighten from the feelings. Shepard also sensed that she had conveyed the feelings before. They were familiar and welcome to Liara.

"It's over now Liara." Shepard finally whispered to her lover. "Each of us has darkness in our past, what matters is that we realize that it's there and use it to move forward. We'll start again Liara. Leave these days behind us."

"You would forgive me after what I did to you?" Liara asked timidly, "How could you even stand to look at me?"

"I love you Liara. I don't see the person who tortured me. I see the woman I rescued on Therum. I see the woman who stood with me against Saren. I see a woman who made mistakes born of grief. I see a woman capable of redemption. What do you see Liara?"

"An angel." Liara whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This chapter turned out to be quite a bit longer than I expected. Don't expect all of them to be this long. Shepard finally gets a bit of downtime. Contains a bit of love but nothing graphic. Also contains speechmaking so be warned.;) It'll be straight back into the fire after this Chapter. Bonus points to any reviewer that can spot when Shepard channels Adama(BSG).

Chapter V: Recovery

As the shuttle set down on the _Voice of Memory_'s deck Liara had finally given in to exhaustion and was quietly snoring. The physical and emotional consequences of the past day had caught up with her. Shepard was not in much better shape. Their relationship was on the mend but even so it would never quite be the same as what it had been. Both had seen too much of the other's mind to be as innocent as they once were. In a way Shepard was almost grateful that she no longer had any secrets. In another she still cherished the memories of innocence. She had resolved to let the past stay buried on Illium. She gave Liara a gentle shake. As Liara slowly focussed on Shepard remarked casually that Liara had started to snore.

Rising unsteadily to her feet Shepard helped Liara up. Miranda confidently returned from the cockpit to confront her passengers.

"Shepard, as I said before you're a mess. I'd say you'd need a medical check, a wash and about a month of rest before you would be fit to go into battle. We don't have a month unfortunately."

"You never did say how your scouting mission went."

"What scouting mission?" Liara asked in confusion.

"Miranda was meeting her contacts on Illium to extract her sister. I assume your sister doesn't know anything about us?" Shepard explained.

"Unfortunately no. I've never made contact with her during the nineteen years she's been with her family."

"Nineteen years?" Shepard exclaimed.

"I abducted her when she was only a baby. Her family is the only life she's ever known." Miranda replied, her voice tinged with a hint of sorrow.

"And she doesn't even know about Cerberus or her past?"

"No. She doesn't know anything."

"So what did your contacts say? How do they plan on extracting her and where do you plan on keeping her and her family?"

"The contacts don't have a clear idea of how to move her and the family. All they were able to do is give me a rundown on her regular movements."

"You didn't tell us where she was going to end up?" Liara added suspiciously.

"Last time I checked I didn't answer to you Liara." Miranda responded frostily. The tactic was transparent even to Shepard. By provoke a fight with Liara Miranda would totally avoid the question. Shepard decided to appeal to Miranda on a compassionate level.

"Miranda, what aren't you telling us?"

"There's only one place I can think of that she would be safe in the short term and that's on this ship." Miranda responded to the honesty in kind.

"Miranda this is a warship. We're going into combat! Combat that, somewhere along the line, we might not come out of alive. At least not all of us." Shepard reasoned.

"You think I don't know that? I don't have anywhere or anyone else that I trust." Miranda finished despondently.

"I think Miranda's right, Shepard." Liara interrupted, coming to Miranda's aid. "It wouldn't be right for us to leave her sister in peril."

"Alright, she can come with us but only for the time being. Liara, Sira and myself will try to keep her safe in the meantime but she's still your sister and your responsibility." Shepard decided.

"Thanks, Shepard." Miranda responded with genuine gratitude. "Do you and Liara need any help?"

"No I think we can manage. You go grab some down time."

Miranda made a quick exit from the shuttle followed by Legion who gave the two a typically Geth glance before following Miranda. Shepard took the opportunity to wrap Liara's arm around her waist for support as they climbed out of the shuttle together.

"Emma, you never did tell me where we were." Liara began as they proceeded down the shuttle's aft boarding ramp.

"I was saving it for a surprise but I suppose you've waited long enough." Shepard joked. "Welcome to my ship the _Voice of Memory_, a genuine Prothean dreadnaught."

"Prothean? You're joking again aren't you Emma." Liara replied, clearly thinking that Shepard was, in fact, having her on.

"What the Commander had meant to say is that the _Voice_ is _our_ ship not her ship." Sira added appearing beside them, her avatar keeping perfect pace.

"A VI?" Liara questioned, "She looks very human and very familiar."

"I should think so considering our meeting with Archon. For the record I am not a VI but a fully fledged AI with an infusion of Shepard's personality and memories." Sira explained.

"A ship run by an AI? Shepard you know that's dangerous."

"It's far worse than that Liara. She's a ship that's integrated itself into my head." Shepard added as they stepped into the hangar bay. Looking about her Liara's trained eye recognized the tell tale signs of Prothean construction. A bit of writing here and a bit of interface there was all she needed to tell her that Shepard hadn't been lying or joking. She was actually standing inside an archaeologist's dream. It had been her dream less than three years ago.

"You're a Prothean AI." Liara gasped in surprise.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Liara" Sira confided, "I like being human better than being Prothean. It was a bit stuffy being Prothean. AI do this. AI run those diagnostics for me. AI fetch my shoes. To which I could only say: Yes, Sir! Of course, sir!" Sira give a visible shudder before continuing. "Shepard's memories have given me so many delicious options to try out. Sarcasm, disobeidience, independence," Sira paused for a second before giving Liara an intimidating look, "World domination?"

"I told you Shepard, AI's are dangerous!" Liara exclaimed with worry. Before she noticed that Shepard was beginning to giggle. Looking over at Sira she even saw a broad grin beginning to form on the AI's face. "Oh I get it, let's mess with the Asari."

"You have to admit your reactions were priceless." Shepard said after she had stopped laughing. "Ow!"

Liara had given her a light punch in the ribs by way of a response.

"Alright Emma. I want the full tour. It's not everyday that I get to walk inside the living memories of the Protheans."

An hour later Liara collapsed on Shepard's bed followed closely by Shepard herself.

"Goddess, I had no idea the ship was so big!" Liara gasped.

"Ditto." Was all Shepard could contribute. "At least it all comes with a real water shower."

"MMM, I had been worrying about that. I hated those miserable sonics you had on the old _Normandy_." Liara sighed.

"Those certainly were good times." Shepard reminisced. "Remember when Garrus was working on the Mako that one time with Tali?"

"The time where she had been working on the navigation systems and Garrus had been working on the hydraulics?"

"That's the one. She gets out just as he was about to get out from underneath the Mako."

"He left his foot out and she tripped."

"And she landed right on top of him."

"All she could say was 'my that's awfully large wrench you have there Garrus'"

They both dissolved into laughter at the memory.

"We should never have shown Tali those old earth movies on movie night." Shepard giggled before dissolving back into laughter.

When they had finally finished laughing Shepard grew partially serious.

"It's nice having you back Liara. Someone to share the memories with."

"We are of the same mind on that Shepard."

"So who gets to use the shower first?" Shepard asked jovially.

"I remember what we used to do on the Normandy in the showers. It was the only thing that made it bearable." Liara said with a not so subtle hint of lust.

Shepard found that she suddenly had a shortness of breath. She quickly rose to her feet followed by Liara as they began to slowly back towards the shower. Shepard struck first capturing in Liara's lips in a kiss. As they made their way back into the shower items of clothing were discarded leaving a mess trail of debris. By the time they had made it to the shower they were both completely naked. As Shepard started the water flowing Liara shoved her against the wall the lust glowing in her eyes. One hand found its way to Shepard's breast while the other made its way to parts south. Shepard was hardly about to let the asari do all of the work and as she pulled Liara in for another heavy kiss.

The first time they made love it was a matter of pent up desire and frantic need. An attempt to wash away they're sins in whirlwind of pleasure. As they made love for the second time it was a journey of rediscovery as though they were in the prelude of the mission to Ilos once more. The final time they made love it was tender. It felt as though it transcended more than just lust and was joining of heart and soul. It was all Shepard could do to dry herself off and half stumble, half support Liara as they tumbled into bed. They passed out in mere moments.

Shepard awoke with a smile as she found an arm wrapped around her and Liara's form pressing into her back. A perverse part of her thought of thanking the Illusive Man for getting them back together but she soon discarded that idea. Shepard continued to bask in the glow of being with the woman she loved once again until a dull groan informed her that Liara had returned to the land of the living. Rolling over Shepard gave Liara a hug.

"'Morning beautiful." Shepard murmured in Liara's ear.

"Mmmm." Liara purred at the compliment.  
"We should be getting up." Shepard warned.

"Why can't we just stay in bed?" Liara groaned.

"Would you want Miranda to come looking and find us here." Shepard joked.

"I wouldn't mind but she shouldn't be allowed to join in. I don't share." Liara purred back, playing along with Shepard's joke.

"Neither do I." Shepard replied as she gave Liara a playful peck on the lips.

"I'll get up if you make me breakfast." Liara finally conceded.

"It's a deal." Shepard replied crawling out of bed to find a robe and her way into the kitchen.

When Liara joined Shepard she was well on her way to whipping up a big breakfast. Shepard had always maintained that if someone couldn't cook a decent breakfast the morning after then any relationship would be doomed to failure. Liara settled herself down at the table as Shepard brought her a cup of sweet smelling tea. As Liara smiled her appreciation she took a sip. Her reaction was much the same as Shepard's when she had first tasted the Prothean tea.

"That tea is amazing. Where did you find it?" Liara exclaimed as she finished savouring the last mouthful.

"It's Prothean tea. From the hydroponics bay and Sira's storage deck." Shepard replied, smugly.

"I still can't believe it. I'm aboard a Prothean ship, drinking Prothean tea, and I'm with an angel. I must be dreaming." Liara spoke in disbelief.

"It's all very real. While I appreciate the angel bit I think I might be a bit more of a fallen angel."

"You're my angel and that's all that matters."

A soft chime interrupted the moment announcing the presence of someone at the door to Shepard's quarters. Shepard briefly willed the doors to open and was rewarded with a satisfying hiss. Miranda strode in as confident and cocky as ever. Liara tightened up her robe in an effort to appear normal.

"Shepard? Making breakfast I see?" Miranda observed.

"You're welcome to join us" Shepard invited.

Miranda hesitated for a moment before sitting down. Shepard offered her a cup of tea which she took gratefully. Her only response to the tea was to close her eyes for a moment with a look of pleasure. When she opened them again she was back on duty.

"Shepard, do you feel up to being back on the firing line again or do you need more down time?" Miranda quizzed.

"I'm feeling a lot better. These nanites are a wonderful thing."

"We should be getting back to Illium some time today. We have to meet the Cerberus crew as well as the Alliance one."

"We're getting a Cerberus crew? Don't you think that's a bit dangerous?" Liara asked.

"I think we all agree on that point but the important part of the arrangement is that we don't have a choice." Miranda responded before addressing Shepard. "I made contact with Andersen and had him route your Alliance friends out here so we can pick everyone up in a single go."

"Efficient Miranda. Just what I would expect from my XO." Shepard replied, calmly dropped the bombshell on Miranda. Miranda, of course, took it in stride.

"Just doing my job Shepard. Nice to know you recognize talent."

"Nah, I did it because of Persephone. I figured she might get bored if you didn't have enough to do."

"Persephone?" Liara asked in confusion.

"Miranda's been joined to an alien intelligence which exists as pure energy." Shepard explained.

"It seems as though you have a knack for, what was the human expression, attracting 'weirdness'."

"You can't get on board this ship without something being unusual about you." Shepard joked, "Just look at Miranda she came on board perfectly normal and ended up with an alien in her head. It also had the side effect of turning her into a normal human being." Shepard added the last part in a stage whisper.

"I am a genetically superior human being." Miranda burst out.

"I only meant it as a compliment Miranda." Shepard consoled, "Sometimes you can be a bit aloof or even standoffish."

Miranda grumbled something under her breath about dead Spectres, afterglow and terrible jokes.

"Can we get back to the matter at hand or do you want to subject me to another one of your not so humorous anecdotes?" Miranda said, after she had finished her grumbling.

"I'm sure you'll make a fine XO Miranda." Shepard complimented.

Miranda's disposition briefly brightened before she returned to the matter at hand. As the three discussed the mission for the day Shepard brought over the breakfast and they proceeded to enjoy their meal. In the back of her mind this struck Shepard as being a welcome change from the bustle of constant action.

Finally Miranda was satisfied with their plan. They had decided that Oriana would be safe for the time being, under the watchful eyes of Miranda's contacts. The important matter was to board the crews and to try not to end up in a massive bloodbath as each group discovered who they were going to be serving with. Miranda had pragmatically timed the meetings so that the Cerberus crew could be informed first. She had also revealed that Cerberus had provided a freighter for the transportation of the personnel and their gear making it the most efficient means of shuttling both groups up to the ship. Shepard had estimated that among the two groups they would only have a total force of roughly 150 people. Less than a quarter of the compliment of a normal dreadnaught. Despite that Sira would be more than capable of handling most of the shipboard functions in conjunction with the crew. They had also dealt with the matter of access and security. While they had agreed that trusting any of the Cerberus crew would be an invitation for disaster they could not simply keep them locked up somewhere. As a result Miranda had suggested giving them each limited access to key systems and leaving deliberate loopholes as traps to draw out potential spies and double agents. Impressed with Miranda's deviousness Shepard had given her a green light to work with Sira to develop what ever measures she needed. The five individuals currently aboard would enjoy almost total access. Miranda had left with the comment that she would meet them on the hanger deck.

Shepard was surprised to find a uniform in her wardrobe. Sira popped into existence beside her to explain.

"I had it made for you. A captain should always have a uniform. It's modeled on a traditional Prothean off dress uniform."

The uniform was coloured a dark black with hints of red trim. It consisted of a light white shirt, pair of dark pants, a long coat that came to Shepard's knees and a pair of boots. All in all it looked more like an historical artefact than a uniform of a soldier. The rank insignia was unknown but all the same it conveyed the message of authority.

"Thank you Sira. It'll be nice to be back in uniform." Shepard confessed. "Am I the only one who's going to be wearing this?"

"No Miranda will be joining you in uniform as your XO. I have provided Liara with some suitable civilian attire."

"That must have been quite a struggle to get Miranda to change into this uniform. The first time we met she … um seemed to have a penchant for displaying her assets." Shepard remarked as she finished putting on the shirt and moved on to the pants. Pulling on the boots and the coat she remarked on how comfortable the entire uniform was. It was apparent that great care had been taken its creation. It fit like a glove and the material maintained a perfectly balanced temperature. It also set Shepard completely at ease being back in the clothing that she was most familiar with. As she returned to the bedroom Liara was already dressed. The civilian attire consisted of standard Asari robes coupled with a dress all in a similar shade of black to Shepard's uniform.

"My you look," Liara paused for a second, "Dashing. Does it come with a sword?"

"It just so happens that I do have one so don't joke." Shepard threatened.

"Is Miranda going to be formally attired as well? I had no idea we were going to a formal event."

"It was Sira's idea of making a good first impression on our new crew. I don't think she intended us to wear them all the time. Plus you don't seem to have gone wanting. Your dress looks divine."

"I'm surprised Sira knew about the neo-classical trend Asari formal wear. She certainly has done her research." Liara remarked as she took Shepard's proffered arm.

"My lady." Shepard joked, "May I have the honour of escorting you to your chariot."

Liara giggled at the joke. Evidently its meaning translated successfully. Either that or she had simply been spending too much time in Shepard's mind and parts were beginning to rub off on her.

As the pair stepped out of their quarters they were confronted by a stormy faced Miranda, also in uniform.

"That damned AI. If I ever find out what it did to my clothing it'll rue the day it was born!" Miranda raged.

"Trouble in paradise?" Shepard asked innocently.

"My clothes! All my clothes were missing when I got back. All had was this uniform! I didn't even notice until I got back from the shower. She even stole the set I was wearing before!" Miranda ranted.

Sira had wisely decided to keep a low profile and was nowhere to be seen. Shepard grinned as she realized how Sira had persuaded Miranda to go in uniform.

"You look the part though and I'm sure Sira will return your clothes."

Miranda only muttered something about this being Shepard's fault as they stepped onto the elevator. As the elevator reached the hangar level the trio emerged to find Legion awaiting them. Evidently the Geth had already preflighted the shuttle. Legion nodded at Shepard's friendly smile and inclined its headplates in confusion at Miranda's icy glare. Shepard's crew settled themselves into the shuttle for the ride to Illium as Shepard piloted the ship out of the hangar.

Spinning the shuttle around Shepard took a moment to consider her new command. The _Voice of Memory_ looked every bit the dreadnaught, simultaneously sleek and intimidating. The ship itself was faintly dagger shaped from the top with a rounded bow. From the side the hull tapered both on the top and bottom to curved points with the middle being the widest point which gave the ship a gentle tumblehome appearance. The upper hull glittered with a number of orange coloured lights as well as being interspersed with a number of red painted gun ports for the secondary armament. Towards the stern it boasted a set of three gently forward curved wings which contained the main engines. The highest set of wings were horizontal while the two other sets were angled slightly downwards. The engines glowed with a faint bluish light as they maintained the ship's station. All in all Shepard was quite impressed with the ship and its capabilities. She could only hope that she would be as impressed with her new crew. Her fellows all seemed to be lost in their own consideration of the ship. Eventually Shepard spun the shuttle in the direction of Illium and laid in the course.

As shuttle sat cooling in the evening light of Illium Shepard gathered her compatriots' around her. Although they were all attired in non-combat clothing (with the notable exception of Legion) each had taken a weapon. In Liara's case a pistol, in Miranda's her trusty SMG. Shepard had elected to take Sira's gift, the sword. It set off her new uniform nicely and she knew from first hand experience that it was a deadly weapon.

"Alright, the Cerberus officer will be meeting us at Docking Cradle 17 with the freighter. The Alliance personnel will also be meeting us there. Although they are all supposed to be our allies be ready for anything. We want to get them boarded and shuttled back to the ship. Legion will be taking the shuttle back. Any questions?"

As no-one raised any questions the trio of organics set off for the docking cradle while Legion remained behind to guard the shuttle.

A newish looking Kowloon class modular freighter sat in the cradle. The ship was wholly unremarkable but Shepard suspected that was merely for show. Heading for the loading dock attached to the cradle Shepard was met by a pair of armed guards wearing unmarked armour. Both held their weapons with the air of trained professionals. Moments later they were joined by a short and entirely average looking man wearing civilian clothes. The new arrival snapped into a salute.

"Commander Shepard, Operative Lawson." He said by way of greeting, "I am your Cerberus transfer officer. I'm in command of the freighter but I've been told that the two of you are running the show. All personnel are present and accounted for aboard. We can leave immediately or you can meet your crew beforehand."

Shepard returned the man's salute before responding.

"Thank you Captain. I don't believe I caught your name."

"Sorry ma'am. I can't disclose my real name while on a Cerberus operation of this level. You can call me Fixer. It's an old codename that seems to have stuck."

"Alright Fixer. Do you have space for about 25 more people. We're going to be having some Alliance personnel joining us."

"We certainly do ma'am. I was briefed about other personnel and made sure that they'll have separate accommodations on the way up."

"Very efficient. XO Lawson will inspect the Cerberus personnel and report back to me. The rest of my party will wait here until the rest of our crew get here."

Fixer simply nodded and politely gestured for Miranda to follow him. His two guards followed Miranda into the loading dock. Shepard settled back against the wall of the loading dock to wait for her Alliance crewmates to arrive. Liara fidgeted as she waited.

"Something bothering you Liara?" Shepard asked, concerned.

"Old habits I suppose Emma. I'm just not used to working with other intelligence organizations or being out in the open for that matter."

"Easy Liara. It's okay. We're just an average couple waiting for some business associates." Shepard soothed.

"Speaking of business associates." Liara responded gesturing to an approaching group of humans.

All the humans were clad in civilian clothing but each one carried themselves with unmistakable presence of military personnel. A woman stood at the forefront of the group. Recognizing Shepard she advanced and came to attention with a sharp salute which Shepard returned.

"Commander Marisa Pearce Ma'am. Councillor Andersen sends his greetings."

The woman was strangely familiar to Shepard. Her blonde hair and medium build reminded Shepard of a friend from the past.

"Commander Pearce you wouldn't be related an Ensign Jill Pearce would you?" Shepard inquired.

"She was my sister ma'am." Pearce responded shortly.

"We'll have to talk later Pearce. Right now I need a run down on the crew. How many from the Normandy?"

"Fifteen, mainly warrant officers and ensigns. The rest are trusted volunteers that the Councillor knew. Most of us have dreadnaught experience."

"What was your last posting?"

"The _Everest_. I was the XO aboard her. Before that I served on a cruiser with Councillor Andersen."

"I suspect you have an impressive resume. Let's assemble the crew. I have a few things to say."

Marisa waved the small group into an irregular semi-circle. Shepard caught the eye of her old Chief Engineer, Adams as well as the second navigation officer, a short redhead, who went by the name of Jenna Mahoney. A few other faces were familiar but her closest circle was missing. Pressly had died with the Normandy, Ashley was nowhere to be seen, nor were Chakwas or Joker. Shepard found herself feeling disappointed with the turnout. She had no doubt that each crew member would do their duty but it wasn't likely to be the same.

Gathering herself she addressed the crowd. "Thank you for volunteering to join me. I know it couldn't have been easy for you to leave your careers and families behind. It is a great burden of trust that you have laid upon me by your presence here and I will do my utmost not to betray that trust or to let any one of you down. Those who served with me aboard the Normandy will remember what I said when we set out to stop Saren and know what is at stake. Those who are new to our crew at least have some idea, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Joining me is a serious obligation. We will be declared renegades and traitors by the Citadel Council and the Systems' Alliance but make no mistake we stand to protect their interests and the interests of all sentient life in the galaxy. Our enemy is implacable and bent on our destruction. We have faced them in battle before and they can be beaten. We will stop them and we will prevail. Let there be no illusions, this is likely to be a one way trip so you all must be prepared for that. This mission also means taking help from wherever and whomever. That means aliens, criminals, terrorists and assassins if the mission calls for it. If any of you have any doubts you can walk away now. I won't hold it against you."

There was a murmur and an uncomfortable shifting through the gathered men and women but they all stood firm. Each one met Shepard's gaze as she looked them over. There was hesitation but that was to be expected. They were all human and each had doubts.

"Alright." Shepard concluded, "I'm glad you're all with me. We're going to be boarding a freighter. On board that freighter are your crewmates. They were Cerberus personnel just as you were Alliance. Now we all serve in common cause. I want there to be no rivalry. You are each to work together without complaint. Rivalry, dissention and arguments will end with all of us getting killed. If you feel the need to argue remember that our fate, your families' fate, and the fate of the galaxy turn on each of your actions. Fall in!"

The assembled group broke into two lines and smartly marched into the loading dock. It was just as Shepard suspected. Andersen had given her an elite group of specialists who were not about to abandon their training, discipline or duty simple because they had given up the uniform. Pearce followed her group into the loading bay leaving Shepard and Liara alone on the street.

"I miss not being there to hear the first speech you gave when you began your hunt for Saren." Liara said, "If this one was anything to go by it must have been impressive."

"It was. Now all that remains is to meet our Cerberus crew."

Shepard and Liara stepped into the loading bay leaving the street deserted.

Shepard reached the freighter's bridge as Liara headed into the cargo bays to find Miranda. Fixer and his co pilot were there prepping their ship for lift off.

"We're just waiting for the word ma'am" Fixer noted.

"The word is given then. Here are the rendezvous coordinates along with the IFF signal." Shepard responded as she tapped the coded departure message into the comm system to let Legion know they were departing. She felt the gentle clunk as the docking clamps were disengaged and the vessel surged into the beige of Illium's evening sky.

"We should reach your rendezvous in one hour's time."

"Good. I'll be meeting the Cerberus crew if you need me."

Shepard spun on her heel and headed for the cargo bay. On her way there she met Miranda and Liara.

"Impressions Miranda?" Shepard asked.

"An above average crop Shepard. A number of them have served in the Alliance and seem to have retired to join this mission. Most of the ship personnel seem to have that background. The Illusive Man also seems to have deployed a science team. I don't know much about the academic types. The marines on the other hand are Cerberus through and through. We also have a few ancillaries."

"Did you find all that out from the crew roster?" Shepard asked with a knowing smile.

"What makes you think I didn't ask them personally?" Miranda responded suspiciously.

"Call it a hunch."

"Do they get the speech as well?" Liara asked before Miranda had a chance to engage in some more sparing with Shepard.

"It depends if they need it." Shepard responded as she continued into the cargo bay.

"Attention on deck!" Someone yelled from near where Shepard was standing. The Cerberus crew swiftly gathered themselves into neat ranks as best they could in the restricted space of the cargo bay.

"At ease." Shepard ordered. Most of crew seemed to relax but Shepard noted one who did not. It was the same unshaven face that had resulted in her death. Joker had never bothered to snap to attention and had merely against a nearby bunk. Shepard favoured him with a grin before returning her attention to the rest of the Cerberus crew.

"You probably all know by now that you're going to be serving as my crew. You also know what's at stake and what the risks are. Since most of you haven't served with me before there's one thing I want to make completely clear. From now on your loyalties lie to the ship, to each other and to me in that order. We are not a Cerberus ship and you are not a Cerberus crew. You are my crew. Our mission is guided by the ideal of Cerberus and the ideal of the Alliance. The protection of humanity. If any of you have a problem with what I've said I suggest you either talk to me soon or find yourselves another posting. When the time comes we have to be able to count on another otherwise all that we will have striven for will be for naught."

The Cerberus crew watched Shepard closely. It was clear that most of them had no problem with her orders.

"When we reach the ship I want to have this freighter unload and all of you billeted in 3 hours. After that we'll be sweeping the outer colonies with the aim of running across who or what ever is behind the attacks. As soon as we reach the _Voice of Memory _I want to meet with all officers and division heads among you. If anyone has any questions now is the time."

A younger crewman at the front tentatively began, "Ma'am is it true that the colonies are being abducted by the Reapers?"

"From what we know so far the Reapers are involved. Whether this is direct or through proxies we can't be sure."

"What about the ship?" Another crewman asked, "We've heard that it's a dreadnaught."

"She is most assuredly a dreadnaught. She's also unique and Prothean. If I had to guess I would say that she can stand in single combat with a Reaper."

The last comment effectively silenced the assembled group. Shepard gave her new crew nod to let them know they had been dismissed. The assembled crew gradually began to disperse as Shepard made her way over to Joker. She was intercepted by a dark haired man with the definite air of authority.

"Commander Shepard, I'm operative Samaurez and in overall command of this cell." The operative responded smoothly, in a cultured voice with a hint of a Spanish accent.

"Good to meet you Samaurez. You have something to discuss with me?" Shepard responded equally smoothly.

"Indeed. I was instructed to hand these OSDs over to you as soon I met you person. I also was wondering how you plan to organize the crew." Samaurez noted as he handed Shepard a case of OSDs.

"My plan is to integrate our Alliance crew members with the Cerberus group into the standard task based divisions and then draw up a watch rotation."

"I was wondering who you were planning on appointing to the command positions."

"If you have to know, it'll be whoever is best qualified regardless of background. What's your background Samaurez?" Shepard asked.

"Covert Operations. The Illusive Man put me in charge of this cell only until you assumed command. I was wondering what I would be doing afterwards."

"Worried that you'll be losing your command position is that it?"

"No, actually. I was hoping I wouldn't be called on to command again." At Shepard's look of puzzlement he elaborated. "In covert ops we usually don't have to watch out for anyone else. We're responsible to ourselves, the organization and to the mission."

"I see now. Well I certainly don't want to have an officer who isn't interested in command. I'll be sure to have you assigned to the marine detachment with emphasis on the ground operations if that's what you want."

"Thank you Commander. I'm looking forward to getting back in the action." Samaurez responded with a nod of gratitude.

He backed away allowing Shepard to continue over to Joker.

"I'd give you a hug if I wasn't worried about breaking your back." Shepard joked by way of a greeting.

"Funny Commander. I see being dead hasn't robbed you of your sense of humour."

"I see that being alive hasn't done anything to improve yours Joker. How have you been? How did you end up with Cerberus?"

"Well the Alliance kinda sucked after you and the Normandy were lost. I kept ending up being bounced around. I think most of the old crew did. Some stuck with it. Others, like me decided to 'pursue other career paths'. Cerberus found me. Told me that I would get a chance to work with cutting edge tech again. Good pay as well!"

"Ah, Joker. I always knew you were a mercenary at heart."

"Then the boss sends a memo saying he's looking for recruits for a suicide mission with Commander Shepard. I figure what the hell, I owe you one. So here I am."

"By my reckoning you owe me several Joker."

"Yeah well I was hoping that you had amnesia. No dice eh?" At Shepard's negative shake of the head he continued. "So what's the new ship like? Scuttlebutt says she's a dreadnaught."

"A dreadnaught is right."

"Oh boy. I've flown dreadnaughts and they certainly are heavy tubs. There won't be any fancy flying with this crate like there was with the _Normandy_."

Evidently completely unable to contain herself Sira flashed into existence. Shepard had little doubt that the AI had either commandeered the electronics on the freighter or had built a holo-projection unit into Shepard's augmentations. Unlike the more primitive holoprojections used for FTL communication this one was a near perfect facsimile of Sira's avatar. She didn't seem amused by Joker's description.

"I would thank you to not refer to me as a beast Mr. Moreau." Sira stated in a voice that could cut glass.

Joker's mouth opened and shut for several minutes but no words came out.

"What? You've never seen an AI before?"

"Sira." Shepard chided, "Now really isn't the best time to have made an appearance."

Indeed it wasn't the best time as the entire cargo bay had gone silent. The only people who weren't surprised were Miranda and Liara. The Cerberus personnel quickly gathered around Shepard, Joker and Sira and hushed whispers quickly broke the silence.

"Alright, everyone settle down." Shepard shouted in an effort to keep order. "This is Sira. You all had better get used to her. She's the ship's artificial intelligence. She controls all the systems. As Mr. Moreau was kind enough to demonstrate you don't want to piss her off. The consequences might be unpleasant."

Sira, for her part, shifted somewhat nervously at being the centre of attention. The Cerberus crew uneasily disbursed. It was hardly surprising given the ongoing antagonism between organics and synthetics.

"Boy are they all in for a surprise when they meet Legion." Shepard confided to Sira before turning around to Joker.

"You're a machine!" Joker finally managed.

"Very astute." Sira responded acidly.

"You look a bit like the Commander."

"I've got an eye for good looks what can I say."

"Why do you need a crew if you've got Sira here?" Joker asked, having recovered somewhat from the shock.

"Having a crew will take some of the burden off of Sira enabling her to operate more efficiently. A crew also helps to increase our performance in a fight by bringing multiple original perspectives to the issue." Shepard explained.

"It still doesn't change the fact that she's a dreadnaught and won't have the same type of manoeuvrability as the Normandy. We'll never be taking her into a planetary atmosphere that's for sure." Joker added, his confidence returning.

"While your assumptions are correct for most dreadnaughts the _Voice of Memory_ is anything but normal. Prothean engineers experimented with the concept of multiple large mass effect cores even before the Reapers appeared. The _Voice_ has, dare I say it the most advanced propulsion system in the universe with the possible exception of the Reapers. I am more than capable of entering and leaving a planetary atmosphere at will."

"That's impossible!" Joker blurted.

"I assure you it isn't. The Reapers were able to land and we are roughly the same size."

"Shepard, are you sure you didn't accidently pick up a Reaper by mistake?" Joker whispered, in an attempt to hide what he was saying from Sira.

"Sira isn't a Reaper. I trust her implicitly."

"If you say so Commander."

"I don't mean to interrupt Shepard but I have received a transmission from the Illusive Man. He has intercepted an Alliance distress call from a colony in the Terminus Systems. Freedom's Progress to be exact." Sira announced.

"Damn." Shepard cursed softly.

"What are we going to do Commander? We need time to offload this beast before we can go shooting off into the Terminus systems." Joker reminded.

"I also have unfinished business on Illium." Shepard remarked before turning back to Sira. "Move the _Voice_ out of the asteroid field. Meet the freighter halfway and prep a shuttle for immediate launch."

"Shepard you are aware that we will be visible by docking with the freighter. Passing traffic anywhere in the system will pick us up. We will hardly go unnoticed."

"Sira we have to unload this freighter as quickly as possible and head for the colony. The worst Illium is going to do is send a customs ship after us to investigate."

Shepard beckoned Miranda over and Liara followed close behind.

"Shepard?"

"The Illusive Man has contacted us. A colony is under attack and we need to leave immediately."

"What about my sister?"

"We'll have about an hour to extract her. After that we have to leave. As soon as we dock you need to suit up. Liara you have to stay put and keep an eye on our new guests. Sira should be able to provide mechanized support if things get out of hand."

"I'll deploy combat mechs to assist with the unloading. The Cerberus personnel wouldn't dare try anything." Sira added smugly.

"Right then. We move out as soon as we dock!"


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This one is a little shorter than the last one. Once more a big thank you to my reviewers! While a fair bit of plot is revealed in this chapter it's really just a warm up for the big confrontation on Freedom's Progress. Anyway enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think of Morrough. Is he recurring character material or best left as a oneshot? As always review and enjoy!

Chapter VI: An Echo

An hour later Shepard and Miranda had almost re-entered Illium's atmosphere. Miranda had been angry about having to abduct her sister off the street in broad daylight. That was of course putting it mildly. Eventually she had conceded the importance of rapid action. The strategy was to sweep into a crowded Illium street and bustle Oriana onto the shuttle. At gunpoint if necessary, though Shepard hoped she wouldn't have to resort to theatrics.

As Shepard sent the shuttle hurtling towards the centre Nos Astra she ignored the frantic calls from the local traffic control. She had no doubt that law enforcement was being scrambled to stop her. With any luck they would be out of the sector long before law enforcement could respond. Engaging the shuttle's onboard jamming suite halted the annoying communications and anyone else's communications within a kilometre radius.

The predatory black winged shuttle howled between the towers of Nos Astra sweeping past the startled hovercars and assorted traffic in the skyways. Upon reaching the square the shuttle flared its nose upwards before settling into the middle of the square in a cloud of dust.

Rather than creating complete chaos the shuttle and the two armoured occupants it disgorged were greeted with surprise and inquisitive looks. Shepard shook her head at how poorly prepared the galaxy was to respond to the Reaper threat. Suddenly Shepard was struck by the difficulty of picking a single person out of a crowd. Especially when she had no idea what the person looked like. Fortunately Miranda already seemed to have a plan.

"We're with Illium's emergency services. Is an Oriana Lawson present?" Miranda shouted out the crowd.

From out of the crowd a dark haired girl in her late teens stepped forward. The resemblance to Miranda was uncanny.

"What is it? Has something happened to my parents?"

"We're sorry ma'am but you'll have to come with us. Your life is in danger." Miranda replied, maintaining the ruse of being law enforcement.

"Hold on a second I'll need to see some credentials."

Shepard merely sighed before flaring her biotics and wrapping Oriana in a stasis field. Oriana's mouth contorted in a gasp of surprise before she was frozen. Miranda whipped her pistol out and fired several shots in the air causing the crowd to disperse.

"That's my sister Shepard! Was that really necessary?" Miranda yelled.

"Completely!" Shepard returned as she grabbed the still frozen Oriana and hauled her aboard the shuttle. Sealing the hatch she strapped Oriana in behind them and then strapped herself into the pilot's seat.

"Hang on. This may get bumpy." Shepard noted before yanking the controls causing the shuttle to practically leap from the surface of the plaza. Shepard angled the shuttle into a steep ascent and jammed the throttle to full. An alarm warbled at Shepard informing her that a number of fighters were on her tail. It also informed her that their weapons were hot and locking on to the shuttle. Miranda was already hard at work arming the shuttle's countermeasures.

As the shuttle continued its assault it launched a haze of decoy canisters all emitting false heat and sensor signatures completely blinding their pursuers' sensors. As the shuttle cleared the atmosphere several fighters were still on their tail. Throwing the shuttle through several evasive manoeuvres served throw off several pursuers but one fighter stubbornly stayed with them. The pilot certainly seemed to know what she was about as the fighter followed Shepard through everyone of her banks, dives and crazy corkscrews. Shepard only narrowly managed to miss the fire coming from the fighter.

"Please tell me I don't have to keep this up much longer." Shepard groaned.

A brief oath and groan were Miranda's only contributions to the conversation. Shepard glanced over to find Miranda slumped in her seat evidently out cold. Suddenly Shepard figured out exactly why Miranda had passed out. It had something to do with the cold barrel of a pistol being place against her temple. Oriana had evidently recovered from the stasis and raided the weapons locker.

"Turn this shuttle around, Now!" Oriana yelled.

"Unless you haven't noticed we're under attack!" Shepard yelled back as she frantically continued her evasive manoeuvres.

"Then transmit your surrender. Don't think I won't use it!"

"Can you fly a ship?" Shepard inquired.

"No. But I can shoot you without killing you." Oriana threatened.

Evidently Oriana was just as decisive as her sister. As if to underline Oriana's threat the shuttle shook with a close graze from the fighter's weapons. Shepard abruptly cut the shuttle's engines which was a universal gesture of surrender. Oriana relaxed slightly as she watched the fighter sweep past and then round on the shuttle so that the two ships were practically nose to nose.

"Maybe you should look at what's behind the fighter." Shepard smugly observed.

As Oriana stared out the viewport her mouth gradually formed into an expression of shock. Bearing down on the two ships was the massive black and red bulk of the _Voice of Memory_. The forward hangar bay located just beneath the dreadnaught's blunt nose gradually opened like the maw of a great beast. Evidently the fighter's pilot hadn't noticed the dreadnaught's approach until the massive ship had swallowed the two smaller vessels into the hangar bay. Shepard triggered the shuttle's landing sequence. The fighter settled rather roughly onto the deck in front of them.

"Why don't you give me the pistol Oriana?" Shepard asked quietly. "The odds don't favour you."

"And why should I do that. I've got you as a hostage." Oriana shot back.

"First off, because you're in danger if you go back to Illium. Second, because if you shoot me you'll bring down the wrath of the fine crew of this vessel. The final reason I can give you is that you'll annoy your sister."

"Sister?" Oriana asked in confusion, "I don't have a sister."

"Actually you do. She's the one you put out cold."

"You're lying!"

"We can test your DNA and prove it to you if you'll put the gun down."

"I don't trust you. You abducted me and I don't even know who you are."

"If you'll let me get up you can see for yourself."

"Alright." Oriana replied cautiously as she gave Shepard space to stand up and face her. Oriana's reaction clear demonstrated that she recognized Shepard's face.

"You're …"

"Commander Shepard, formerly of the SSV _Normandy_. First Human Spectre and dead for the past two years."

"How do I know your really you?"

"All the facts that you know about me are public knowledge so anything I can tell you could just be a fabrication. If you want you can ask me a question that you think only the genuine article would be able to answer."

"Alright, the asari crew-member that you travelled with, Liara T'Soni, were you two an item?"

"That seems more like gossip mongering than an actual question but the answer is yes. We are an item." Shepard conceded.

"What do you mean are? She's on Illium."

"Actually she's with me. I suspect that if you were to look into it her business has closed up. How do you know about her?" Shepard asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I employed her once." Oriana replied defensively.

"Why would you need an information broker?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Well you can either tell me or I can ask Liara. Your choice."

"Let's see you ask Liara then."

"Liara how do you know Oriana then?" Shepard asked to the air behind Oriana.

"You must think I'm a fool to fall for that one." Oriana laughed, "I turn around and you jump me."

"I would take Commander Shepard at face value." Liara interjected softly, her biotics swirling dangerously.

Oriana jumped and spun around to confront Liara. She hesitated for a moment before lowering the pistol.

"Alright I get it. She was behind me the whole time and you were just humouring me." Oriana sighed.

Shepard merely grinned and nodded.

"It's still amazing to see you here. I mean it's really you. All the news vids said you were dead." Oriana continued, her amazement replacing her suspicion.

"You've got your sister to thank. I owed her one." Shepard replied leaving the conversation at that.

"What happened to Miranda?" Liara inquired.

"Oriana introduced her to the butt of a pistol. I suppose we she should see if she's alright."

Shepard craned over the co-pilot's seat and gave Miranda's shoulder a friendly shake.

"Shepard?" Miranda shouted bolting upright. "Where's Oriana?"

"She's right here. It's all right. We're safe."

Miranda relaxed before nimbly hoping out of the seat to look at her sister. The two women seemed to size each other up.

"So?" Oriana began hesitantly.

"So." Miranda finished awkwardly.

"Well this is awkward. We'll give you two a minute." Shepard remarked as she extracted herself and Liara from the shuttle.

"What sort of odds are you giving them?" Shepard asked Liara as soon as they had cleared the shuttle.

"Odds of what?" Liara asked in confusion.

"Of killing each other. If Oriana is anything like her sister I'd give them a fifty/fifty chance of ending up arguing with each other."

"Ahhh. If you wish to make a wager then I would place my money on Miranda. If we were betting. What are you going to do about our other guest?" Liara asked calmly as she gestured at the rather dazed Asari stumbling out of her fighter. Shepard decided to head off the traditional hostile reactions by training her pistol on their latest guest.

"Alright, just take it easy. What's your name?" Shepard queried in an effort to put their prisoner at ease.

"Senior Officer Taromi. Justina Taromi." The asari replied dazedly.

"That's a human name." Shepard remarked.

"Named for my father. Where am I?" The asari continued in a daze.

"You're aboard my ship and I'm afraid you're going to be my guest. Are you sure you're alright?"

As if to answer the asari stumbled and almost fell as both Shepard and Liara rushed to her side.

"She may be concussed Shepard." Liara concluded.

"Let's get her to the infirmary." Shepard ordered.

Moments later they had bundled on to the elevator when Shepard felt the ship make a relay transit. Through her implants she knew that Sira had already plotted a course for Freedom's Progress. With any luck they would be planetside within hours. The elevator came to a halt on the medical level and Shepard and Liara bustled into the medical bay. Shepard was momentarily taken aback at seeing her old CMO Chakwas.

"Dr. Chakwas its been to long."

"Commander Shepard. It seems you have a penchant for bringing me dazed asari as means of greeting." The doctor replied dryly. Liara on the other hand flushed turquoise at the memory of her many fainting spells following her joinings with Shepard.

Together they managed to heft Taromi on to one of the examination beds. Chakwas ran her omni tool over the asari and began to process the results.

"You know Commander it might help if we had a more standard medical bay. I don't know what half the equipment around here does not to mention the drugs. Your AI mentioned something about nano-therapy whatever that means."

"The best I can understand it Dr. is that Citadel medicine is based around organic technology like medi-gel. Prothean technology seems to be based on mechanical technology. Microscopic robots float around your body repairing damage."

"Your medical knowledge seems to have grown since we last met Shepard."

"I should know since I have about several billion of the little devils floating around my bloodstream right now. Hell, doctor if you studied me right now you could probably write a library full of medical books."

"Tempting Commander but how about we focus on your patient? She seems to be concussed which has resulted in a slight swelling of the brain resulting in her disorientation. I can give her a mixture of drugs to sedate her and reduce the swelling. She should just recover even without the drugs." Chakwas informed her.

"Thanks, doc. You should drum up some Cerberus Marines to keep you company when she wakes up. She isn't exactly a willing guest. Remind them that they are to use force only as a last resort she is not to be harmed in anyway."

"You seem to have forgotten that in my sickbay no-one gets hurt Shepard. I won't allow it." The doctor replied tartly.

"Good to know doctor. Let me know when she wakes up. I'll want to talk to her."

After seeing their latest guest safely tucked in Shepard and Liara found themselves with a much needed bit of alone time.

"Goddess, Emma. Is it always so busy with you?" Liara asked as they boarded the elevator for the habitation decks.

"It certainly seems that way doesn't it. In two hours time we'll be dropping into another combat situation" Shepard sighed.

"You should probably get some sleep."

"Sleep won't do me much good at this point. I'll just wake up even more exhausted. Anyway you're coming too."

"I wouldn't pass up the opportunity Emma. Not when you're offering. So what do you want to do in the meantime?"

"There is one place I've found to be particularly peaceful and you need to commune with Sira anyway."

"Commune?" Liara asked as they stepped out of the elevator and made their way through the hab levels towards Shepard's observation dome.

"For lack of a better word yes. The nanites that you have in your bloodstream allow you to manipulate the mechanical systems on the ship. They also allow a direct neural link with Sira. In addition to the practical benefits they also boost neural functioning, healing, strength, stamina and biotics. Yours aren't quite as invasive as mine."

"I meant to ask about the implant in your spine."

"It regulates my nanites and keeps all the Cerberus technology running properly. It also has the added benefit of meaning that my back can't be broken." Shepard joked as they stepped into the observation dome.

Shepard settled into a comfortable cross legged position followed closely by Liara.

"Now just relax and let your mind drift. The nanites will automatically link you into Sira directly." Shepard directed.

As Liara closed her eyes Shepard could feel her gradually becoming one with the ship. Shepard allowed herself to relinquish consciousness and rapidly drifted into Sira's consciousness.

Shepard found herself on the beach again. Liara was already marvelling at her surroundings.

"We're on the Prothean homeworld. I always dreamed that I might some day stand here but I never thought I would actually end up here." Liara exclaimed in amazement.

"Technically you aren't standing here. This is only a virtual construct." Sira corrected, gently.

"Still it seems very real. Just like you. You don't seem to be very Prothean."

"I modeled my physical parameters on Emma here. I found that, to alien life forms, the Protheans appear somewhat disturbing. If you want you can meet some of the echoes."

"Echoes?" Liara asked in puzzlement.

"They are copies of actual Prothean consciousnesses. For all intents and purposes they're virtual intelligences which mimic the Protheans that they were modelled upon. Why don't you introduce us to one Sira." Shepard explained.

Moments later the gangly tentacled figure of a Prothean stood before them. It was slightly taller than Shepard and considered them with a set of glowing blue eyes.

"You are not Prothean." It remarked.

"No but we wish to speak to you." Shepard responded smoothly.

"Your minds tell me that you are two of the child races. It is good that you seek out the knowledge of we that have passed."

"Shepard? It's reading our minds?" Liara asked worriedly.

"Don't worry Liara. You have control over this situation. It's only an echo it can't actually harm you." Shepard reassured.

"It is alright. If I were in her position I would be afraid as well." The Prothean rumbled. "Speaking with a race long dead is unnerving. Still you both have many questions. I will do my best to provide answers and council."

"Thank you." Shepard responded. "Perhaps you could tell us your name."

"I am Morrough Zdan. Just before the fall I was the high custodian of the echoes. The collected greatness of our civilization. All the great minds. I never really dreamed that I would be joining them. Now I serve as the guide to the echoes. Sira has been kind enough to utilize my imprint to run the ship's library."

"So you're our librarian?" Liara asked having overcome her initial trepidation.

"Indeed I am Dr. T'soni. I look forward to correcting some of the assumptions you hold about the Protheans."

"So Morrough what can you tell us about the Prothean Empire before the fall. Paint us a broad picture perhaps." Shepard asked.

"The Empire at its height spanned millions of worlds." Morrough began. "It reached from the Citadel all the way out to the outer reaches of the galaxy. The coreworlds produced the empire's ships and technology while the outworlds produced its raw materials and food. By the time the empire had reached its apex we had almost eliminated poverty and inequality. We had set war behind us and devoted ourselves to the great undertaking of fashioning a vessel to carry us out of the galaxy. It was to be great ark carrying the very best of our society. That was how the echoes project began. The construction of the ark was to take place on the planet Solaria. It was great hub of science and culture and my home."

"It was also a world of great turquoise oceans. There was only one land mass and that was a series of snow capped mountains. We had hollowed out the mountains and transformed them into great spires." Morrough continued, enchanting his audience with the vivid portrait of his home. "It was the Prothean way to fuse the organic with the mechanical. Ever since we stepped forth into the galaxy we have been uncomfortable when we were not in proximity with the earth and plants. Within these mountains we had accumulated vast stores of knowledge and computer systems. It seemed to be the perfect place to begin the construction of an ark. As soon as the project was approved the planet became a bustling hub of activity. Spire towers sprouted from the ocean almost daily to cope with the new arrivals. The new construction also brought us into contact with the native of life of the planet. The creatures were aquatic and they shared their personalities among various bodies. They were extremely intelligent and very helpful. It turned out that they had been watching us and covertly absorbing much of the knowledge from our repositories. In exchange for a place on the ark they were willing to aid us with technology."

Morrough paused for a moment before continuing.

"This was the first time that we had ever made contact with a race that was as advanced as us. You exist in an unusual time with many advanced races. We were alone. It was pleasant to finally find others like us. Even better we shared goals and desires. With their help the work proceeded quickly. The great ark was almost finished by the time we realized that something was wrong."

"What was it?" Liara asked anxiously unable to contain her excitement at the story.

"It was the beginning of the Reaper War. One had stayed behind. It was slowly marshalling a force of indoctrinated servants on the outer worlds. Some were beginning to go dark. It was decided that work on the ark was to be halted and a ship of war was to be constructed. She was to be the pinnacle of Prothean technology. A great sword of light to sweep away the darkness. Those of us attached to the project ensured that much of the same technology that went into making the ark would be incorporated into this warship. It seemed only prudent at the time. The military had no idea the degree to which we had taken the concept of an advanced warship and fashioned it into another ark. They never did find out. When the Reaper struck with its servants and their machine ships the Protheans fought valiantly to halt the attack but we were not a race of warriors. We viewed the battle at the Citadel as a simple battle to be managed rather than the epic final confrontation to decide our fates. That was our mistake. We retreated only to find that the Reaper had unleashed more of its brethren. Like a black tide they swept across the galaxy. Killing all who stood in our way. Fortunately we had nearly finished both ships. Unhappily only one operated on technology that was not based on the relays. The first ark had an FTL drive designed to carry it out of the galaxy. The dreadnaught did not have the same drive. The decision was made to hide the dreadnaught inside an asteroid and use fusion torches to send it into deep space hiding it from the Reapers and leaving it as a legacy. The remaining people on Solaria would then attempt to escape on the Ark."  
"So the dreadnaught was Sira." Shepard surmised.

"Indeed it was. She survived with this imprint of me. As she left a true horror was unleashed. The indoctrinated had already reached us and been among us for quite some time. They sabotaged Sira's launch as well as that of the ark. Sira was sent spinning towards the centre of the galaxy. A great black hole cluster. The ark itself was reprogrammed to head straight for dark space. All I know is that an epic conflict took place on the ark before many of the imprints were sent to Sira. Then we learned nothing more. I have no idea what happened to the ark."

"Why did you tell us this story?" Liara asked.

"I know that you have fought the Reapers, that you have even been touched by their minds. I also know that you go to face agents of the Reapers. I told you this story to caution you. No matter how advanced your technology and no matter how sure you are of the people around you, you are still vulnerable to the Reapers. Do not fall prey to overconfidence and do not become complacent. The Reapers may already have agents among you. They are subtle in their works. They will seek to mislead you and place you in impossible situations."

"So what do you suggest?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"The trick to defeating the Reapers is superior knowledge. Somehow you must seize that resource. This has been the root cause behind each cycle of extinction yet each time sentient life has become more aware of the Reapers. You must complete this journey. You must learn the truth about the Reapers. Only then do you have chance of defeating them. That is my council to you."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: One review for the last chapter is a bit sparse. Let's see if we can't do a bit better with this one. This chapter has the entire Freedom's Progress escapade and Tali finally meets Legion. Don't expect fireworks in this chapter but do expect them a bit later. As an added incentive a visit to the Geth homeworld is in the works so stay tuned for that. On a personal note this will be the second to last chapter that I'll be posting for a little while. I'll be posting one more chapter tomorrow and again (for sure) on the 26th of August. Hopefully things will settle down a bit. I have also run into some writer's block on Omega and escaping Omega (and the writer's block) is proving problematic. The damn place is like kryptonite to my writing. Wish me luck in overcoming it!

Chapter VII: A Line in the Snow

Shepard was brought back to full consciousness by Sira's gentle announcement that they were twenty minutes out from the colony. Liara seemed dazed by her experiences.

"Emma, I had no idea of the memories that Sira possessed. To speak with a real Prothean is amazing."

"I know Liara. When I first boarded this ship I thought about you. It's the culmination of a dream for you."

"We should be getting down to the shuttle bay. Who knows what we'll find on the surface."

"Sira, we'll be taking two shuttles down to the surface. I want a Cerberus marine detachment along with medics aboard one. Ask Miranda, Legion, Samaurez and two of his marines join us aboard the second shuttle. The first shuttle will circle the colony and provide fire support if we need it. The second one will have the ground teams."

"What about me Shepard?" Liara asked.

"You're with me."

"In the heart of the battle." Liara finished with a nervous smile.

Ten minutes later Shepard had gathered her shuttle crew in the bay. Everyone had kitted themselves with weapons and armaments. It had been a minor miracle that no one had tried to shoot Legion. It likely had something to do with the fact that he was innocuously standing beside Shepard holding his trademark sniper rifle.

"Alright, here's the plan. When we land we split into two teams. Miranda is in command of the second team. Jefferson" Shepard ordered, indicating one of the armoured Cerberus marines. "You're with her. You too Legion. Miranda's team will sweep the southern perimeter of the colony. My team is everyone else. We've got the northern section. I want everyone frosty out there. We have no idea what's going to be waiting for us. It could be husks, Geth, Collectors or something entirely new. Let's move out!"

The team quickly boarded the shuttle. Shepard gratefully deferred to Miranda's piloting abilities opting, instead, to watch the sensor readings as well as the view. Miranda guided the shuttle out of the hangar and into the upper atmosphere of the planet. The ride gradually became choppier as they descended. Snow and buffeted the shuttle nearly obscuring the view in front of them. Luckily the landing buoy was still active allowing them to lock on to their target. The shuttle settled gently onto the main landing pad in the centre of the colony. A cursory check of the sensor readings revealed the area to be clear of lifesigns, human or otherwise. Shepard yanked her trusty pistol from its holster before stepping off of the shuttle's stern ramp.

Just as she had feared the colony was deserted. Nothing but the snow and the wind greeted her. Shepard waved the rest of the team down the ramp but halted Liara as she passed by.

"Liara, be careful. Something feels off about this."

"There is something in the air that speaks of horror." Liara agreed.

As the team fanned out on the landing pad Shepard sealed the shuttle with a wave of her hand and quick mental command. The sky above them was rapidly darkening as evening began to set in. Matters weren't helped by the blowing snow and the complete lack of lighting beyond a few lights illuminating walkways or open spaces in the colony. None of the buildings had any type of lighting. Shepard turned to face her comrades.

"Alright let's split up and sweep the colony. Maybe we can find some sort of clue or some survivors. Stay on comms and don't let your teammates out of your sight." Shepard ordered before waving her own four man team towards on of the buildings. Samaurez and the marine, Jaffer took point while Shepard and Liara brought up the rear. The first building that they reached was some type of dining hall. The tables still had the last meal sitting on them though the food had long gone cold. The dining hall implied that the entire colony had been taken completely by surprise. As Shepard continued through the room she noticed a small insect crawling on one of the tables. Before she could get a closer look the creature leapt into the air and flashed into a ventilation duct before she could even blink. Shaking her head in confusion Shepard dismissed the insect as being some sort of overgrown arctic fruit fly.

The rest of the team had apparently turned up nothing so they continued into the next empty square. Numerous footprints were gradually becoming buried by the falling snow. Some did not even appear to be human.

"It looks like there was a struggle here." Samaurez noted. "Some of the impressions in the snow seem to be impacts but it doesn't seem right."

"What is it?" Shepard asked.

"Well if there had been a fight then there should be blood, heatsinks, weapons and corpses. There isn't anything except footprints."  
"Maybe they were eco-invaders. Take only colonists leave only footprints." Jaffer joked nervously.

"Jaffer, you're addressing a senior officer so show some respect." Samaurez reprimanded.

"It's alright. It's good that at least one of us still has a sense of humour." Shepard replied as she scouted the perimeter of the square. Giving a quick hand signal they moved down a small roadway which led deeper into the colony. What they found next chilled Shepard's blood.

The insect she had found had gone to find its friends. Its friends didn't just seem to be a swarm of insects but were also composed of a number of husks. Their soulless blue eyes locked straight on to Shepard and her team and the square resounded with the unearthly groans and shrieks of the creatures.

"Open fire!" Shepard yelled as she exhausted her heat sink on a charging husk.

Quickly switching to her assault rifle Shepard continued to pick off the charging creatures as she slowly backed up. The insects were already hurling themselves upon them. A cloud descended upon Jaffer and proceeded to sting him. He flailed about in a desperate attempt to get the creatures off of himself but it was to no avail. Suddenly he was illuminated by a bright orange flash and went completely immobile. Shepard gasped before calling to Samaurez and Liara to fall back. Unfortunately the insects were already upon Samaurez. He made a vain effort to run before coming face to face with a husk which grabbed him. As he struggled with the creature the insects descended upon him. Another orange flash and he had gone completely still.

Shepard had just watched half her team be incapacitated in a matter of seconds. Without thinking she spun on her heel and grabbed Liara's hand. The two sprinted back down the street towards the buildings. Shepard hastily pulled Liara down an alley between two buildings and palmed the door lock to the building they were standing next to. It seemed to be some sort of habitation block. Shepard yanked Liara up a set of stairs onto the building's second level. The one good thing about the cold climate was that the buildings were well sealed which would make it difficult for the insects to follow them. Shepard and Liara found themselves in a bedroom but Liara frantically dragged Shepard into the nearby bathroom and sealed the door. They both stood panting for a moment in an attempt to catch their breath.

"What in the name of the goddess were those things?" Liara managed between gasps.

"No idea. At least we have some idea how the colony was incapacitated." Shepard puffed.

Shepard yanked the standard rebreather helmet she had worn on the mission off her head and smoothed her hair back in an effort to keep it out of her eyes. Liara followed suit. It was then that they heard the faint hiss of a door being opened beneath them.

"Goddess above, they're in the building." Liara whispered.

Shepard rapidly shushed Liara for fear of giving their position away. As they listened they could the methodical clumping of the husks and the groans as they prowled the ground levels. Eventually they heard one begin to make its way up the stairs. Shepard eased back from the door as did Liara. Both drew out their weapons and pointed them at the door. The husk was making no attempt to conceal its presence as it blundered about the bedroom. They could hear it rattle the bed and tables in its effort to find them. Eventually the sounds began to recede. Shepard gradually began to lower her rifle when she felt a strange sensation on one of her hands. It was the large fruit fly that she had seen before. Expect now she could see that each set legs were actually a pair of wickedly hooked talons. It simply stared at her before jabbing one wickedly hooked leg into Shepard's armoured hand.

Shepard felt a tingle gradually begin to emanate from her hand up her arm as she spun to yell a warning to Liara. She froze in mid sentence her body completely gripped by the paralysis. She could still see and hear. Liara had turned to stare at her in shock. Liara's biotics flared with rage and hurled the buzzing insect into the nearby wall. Shepard could hear the stomping of the husks as they ran towards the source of the noise. Shepard couldn't see the door but she could hear it hiss open as well as the bursts of rifle from Liara and the corresponding death rattles from the husks. Suddenly the rifle fire stopped. Since Liara had moved out of Shepard's field of view she could only surmise that one of the insects had reached her. As Shepard stood there she could hear the husks moving. She was roughly grabbed and dragged out of the building.

She was dumped like a hunk of refuse in the centre of the square facing towards the building. All Shepard could see were the feet of the husks as they pursued their mindless errands.

As she lay there Shepard gradually felt feeling returning to the cheek that lay buried in the snow. The numbness slowly began to recede as Shepard came back to life. The nanites had done their work well as she later realized. Thanks to them she had neutralized the effects of the insect's sting. Shepard's body was wracked with uncontrollable shivers and twitches as it awoke from its stupor. The husks merely stared at the convulsing human. Shepard's hand found the handle of her pistol and she yanked it free as she unsteadily rose to her feet. The husks seemed startled out of their stupor as they began to advance on her. Shepard brought her shaky arm up and slowly set to work on thinning their numbers.

Minutes later Shepard was surrounded by six dead husks. Turning around she found Liara going through the same twitchy reawakening. Liara shakily rose to her feet with Shepard's help and looked around her in confusion.

"Shepard? What happened?"

"I would wager that those insects use some sort of biological, chemical or mechanical agent to incapacitate their prey. The nanites that you and I have must have automatically compensated for the interference from the insects."

"So we're immune?"

"It seems that way but no-one else apart from Legion would be immune. Speaking of which." Shepard keyed her comm only to be greeted by a burst of static. "Damnit! We're being jammed!"

"We should attempt to find Samaurez and Jaffer. Maybe we can revive them."

"Good idea." Shepard replied as she checked her pistol. Liara un-holstered her own weapon as the two made their way down the deserted street. The square where they had fought the husks was completely deserted apart from a single assault rifle lying in the snow. Shepard snatched the weapon up.

"It's one of ours. Probably Jaffer's." Shepard observed.

"The husks must have taken them somewhere."

"Wherever they've taken him is probably the centre of their operation." Shepard said resolutely.

Shepard headed towards a large building on the other side of the square which seemed to block their path forwards. Shepard waved Liara to take position on the other side of the door. Punching the door control the door whooshed open. Shepard stormed through the now open door followed closely by Liara. The room was far from being deserted.

A group of quarians were considering a computer system in front of them. Two of them spun, drew their own assault rifles and pointed them at Shepard and Liara.

"Stay where you are and lower your weapons." One of the armed quarians ordered in the inflected tones of the migrant fleet.

"You're the one on a human colony. You lower your weapons!" Shepard barked back.

"Last chance human!" The quarian fired back as he tightened his grip on his rifle.

"Stop it Prazza!" One of the female quarians ordered. The accent was familiar but the exosuit was not. "I'm in command here. No one is going to be shooting anyone"

The quarian elbowed her marine out of the way to stand in front of her group. She came up short when she saw Shepard.

"Shepard! Liara! What are you two doing here? I thought Shepard was dead!" Tali exclaimed in surprise.

"It takes a lot more than a particle beam to put me out of the fight." Shepard boasted.

"Actually it doesn't" Liara corrected. "What are you doing here Tali?"

"My squad and I are tracking down a quarian distress call from this colony. It seems a quarian on his pilgrimage was caught in the attack and somehow survived. But then we ran into those husks and their insects."

"You survived?" Shepard asked in disbelief

"The insects ignored us. The husks didn't. They've been attacking us for the past several days. So far we haven't lost anything except our ship. One of the red husks blew itself and the ship up." Tali concluded.

"We can evacuate you and your team but we have to find the rest of our team. Have you seen them?"

"We only saw two men in Cerberus armour being dragged away. No sign of Alliance personnel."

"Umm," Shepard began hesitantly, "The two men in Cerberus armour were our team."

"What?" Tali burst our. "You're working with Cerberus!"

"Not exactly by choice." Liara interjected.

"Cerberus rebuilt me after I died. I managed to 'escape' but the Illusive Man roped me back in with blackmail. Suffice to say that I've got some Cerberus personnel under my command now."

"Alright Shepard. I don't trust Cerberus but I do trust you. What do you want to do?"

"You can't be serious! We can't follow Cerberus orders after what they did to the _Idenna_!" Prazza interrupted.

"What did Cerberus do to the _Idenna_?" Shepard asked.

"They tried to blow it up so that they could find a human biotic." Tali supplied.

"Well I'm not Cerberus and I didn't try to blow up the _Idenna_. Also I'm the only one with a ship. So you can either follow your commanding officer's orders or go your own way. Your choice."

"Like the Commander said Prazza, you're under my command. You don't get a choice. We follow the Commander." Tali ordered her recalcitrant subordinate.

Prazza grumbled but he fell into line. Shepard took the lead with Liara while Tali formed her trio of marines up behind them. The group gradually made their way through the rest of the deserted settlement. The most danger that they encountered during their trip were a few husks that milled about aimlessly.

Shepard finally reached the main security building on the far north side of the colony after a nearly thirty minute walk. So far they had seen no sign of a guiding intelligence behind either the insects or the husks. Shepard formed her team up around the main door into the security complex. The area was littered with spent weapons and destroyed mechs. What ever had happened had occurred some time ago as most of the parts were merely shadows under the snow. Shepard triggered the door and cautiously entered the complex motioning for the rest of the team to follow her. As she proceeded deeper into the building a large object came sailing down from the second level and impacted on the hard ground. Shepard jumped for cover, narrowly missing being crushed under the object. The area was suddenly alight with weapons fire as unseen assailants opened fire from the upper levels of the building. Glancing out from her cover Shepard observed that both Liara and Tali were trapped behind a clump of tech parts in the centre of the room. One of the quarians was lying flat on his back moving feebly, obviously shot. The rest of Prazza's team were providing covering fire with their weapons. The figures on the upper level were obscured by the shadows and the flashes of their weapons. Shepard cautiously made her way around her cover till she spotted an enclosed set of stairs leading to the upper level.

Taking a deep breath Shepard dashed from behind her cover and sprinted for the stairs. Some of her assailants redirected their fire towards her as she ran. Small chunks of concrete and dust filled the air as the slugs impacted the ground around her. Shepard dove for the doorway and slid through coming to an abrupt halt as she impacted the wall. Bouncing to her feet she took cover and inched her way up the stairs. Switching her pistol for her trusty shotgun Shepard sprang from her cover at the top of the stairs and unloaded a cloud of metal flechelettes into the first opponent at the top of the stairs. Paying no heed to the dropped enemy Shepard unloaded another round into the next nearest enemy and ducked back into cover. Flaring her biotics Shepard readied her next attack. Drawing a disk shaped grenade from her belt she flung it into the middle of the upper walkway. The grenaded emitted a blinding light which served to confuse the shooters allowing Shepard to get the drop on them. Jumping from cover she trained her weapon on her next target. The target was a human colonist.

The man before her wore the tattered remnants of his colonial jumpsuit but they did little to conceal the cancer of redish blue nanotechnology permeating his body. The colonist's eyes were the same set of soulless blue pits that the husks possessed.

"Intruder. Human. Destroy." The abomination hissed at her as it levelled its weapon at Shepard.

Suddenly the creature was missing its head. A loud shot resounded through the complex. Shepard was startled from her reverie and opened fire on the remaining colonists. With her shotgun and the suppressing fire of the sniper rifle Shepard made quick work of the remaining colonists.

Wiping the sweat from her brow she noted that the sniper had been none other than Legion. The Geth calmly strode over to meet her.

"Shepard-Commander." He said by way of greeting.

"Legion, what are you doing here?"

"Lawson and Jefferson were incapacitated by flying biomechanoid constructs. This platform was impervious to their attacks, however, the quantity of husks accompanying the biomechanoids forced a tactical withdrawal. A consensus favoured a tracking operation to uncover the source of husk activity. We followed the husks outside of their detection range and arrived here. Seeing you in danger we engaged in long range combat and neutralized the threat. End report."

"Just in time Legion. Just in time." Shepard responded with a friendly punch to the shoulder.

"Please clarify the significance of your last action."

"It's a sign of comradeship."

"This behaviour has been logged for future use."

"Uhh, Legion, if you do decide to use make sure you don't put too much strength behind your punch. It's meant to be a gesture of friendship, not to break someone's bones."

"Noted."

"Hang back a bit Legion. We've got quarians with us and they might not take well to seeing you."

"Of course. Creators and Geth have an antagonistic relationship. We would not wish to interfere you're your diplomatic relations."

"I'll comm you as soon as it's clear."

Shepard cautiously made her way back down the stairs to the centre of the room. The group had huddled around the downed quarian.

"How's he doing?" Shepard asked.

"He should pull through provided we can get him medical attention." Liara responded.

"Alright. Tali why don't you have Prazza and his friend take him back to the ship. We'll continue onwards and see what we can find before meeting up with them again."

"You heard her Prazza. Get Ma'Jruhi back to Shepard's shuttle."

Prazza grumbled but he and his female counterpart hoisted their wounded comrade up and made ungainly progress towards the building's exit.

"Tali, we have another member of our team waiting on the upper level."

"What's the problem Shepard? Are they wounded?" Tali asked in concern.

"No. He's a Geth."

"A Geth? Shepard, have you gone insane? First Cerberus and now Geth, next thing you'll be telling me that you've been making AI's in your spare time."

At Tali's last remark Shepard and Liara shared a knowing grin.  
"Tali it's alright. He isn't like other Geth. For one thing he talks."

"A talking Geth? We didn't design most of them to communicate with words." Tali interjected with palpable surprise.

"At least talk to him. Decide for yourself. Don't let stereotypes and prejudice make the decision for you."

"Alright Shepard, but I'm only doing this for you."

Shepard sent Legion the all clear and he appeared moments later.

"So you're the Geth that Shepard's been talking about. What's your designation?" Tali asked frostily.

"We are called Legion. May we ask your designation?" Legion returned politely.

"I am Tali'Zorah vas Neema."

"Creator-Tali'Zorah, this information has been logged. We look forward to enlarging Geth knowledge of the Creators. Our position is tactically vulnerable. We should continue with the mission."

"Legion is right. We have to press on. I assume you're satisfied that Legion doesn't want to kill us Tali."

"I suppose so Shepard." Tali replied sounding unconvinced.

Shepard and her team gradually pressed forward through the ante-chamber into the main security room. The room was largely deserted. A number of dragon's teeth occupied the corners of the room. Most of the dragon's teeth were empty but some still held their victims. Shepard quickly realized that one of them was wearing Jefferson's Cerberus armour. Some of the colonists and Jefferson still moved about feebly as though they were still alive. Shepard gritted her teeth in an attempt to quell the feelings of rage at the cold viciousness and brutality of their enemy. Miranda, Samaurez and Jaffer were stacked like so much firewood to one side. The husk's work had evidently been interrupted.

"Tali, see if you can disable those dragon's teeth. Maybe the people on them can still be saved. Liara see if you can do anything about getting our people mobile. Legion, hack into the colony's security records and see if you can find our missing quarian." Shepard barked out her commands in an effort to get both her crew and herself focussed on the mission.

For her part Shepard followed Tali over to the spikes and their cargo. She could feel their eyes upon her and it was unnerving to say the least. Shepard could also feel the subtle taint of the Reapers upon the technology. It was as though the tendrils of a Reaper consciousness had linked themselves to the spikes. Some of the eyes that were watching her weren't even human anymore. A voice rasped out breaking Shepard's concentration.

"Com-ander Shepard." Jefferson rasped.

"Jefferson! You're still alive up there!" Shepard gasped.

"Just barely" Jefferson grunted out between clenched teeth.

"Hold on soldier. We'll get you down from there!" Shepard attempted to reassure him.

"It's too late. I know you can't save me or anyone else."

"Don't talk like that Jefferson. We can get you down and patched up. We've got technology that rivals this back on the _Voice_."

"That spike is all that's keeping me alive. Don't ask how I know I just do. Have to tell you." Jefferson managed to whisper, obviously in terrible pain.

"What is it Jefferson? Tell me what?"

"These spikes … they don't just make husks. They steal souls. Steal minds. I can feel mine going."  
"Is there anything I can do for you Jefferson?"

"Make it quick Commander."

"I'm sorry Jefferson." Shepard said, her voice heavy with regret as she drew her pistol and aimed it at Jefferson's head.

"It was an honour to serve with you Commander. I just wish I could have done more." Jefferson finished as his face twisted in agony. The spike was obviously working hard to finish him. Shepard could see the lines of cybernetics crawling over Jefferson's face.

"Goodbye." Shepard whispered as she pulled the trigger.

Everyone except Tali was startled by the report of the pistol. Shepard turned away from Jefferson's corpse and walked over to Legion.

"Do you have the data?" She asked, coldly.

"Affirmative, Shepard-Commander. We detect faint quarian biosigns in a nearby shipping container."

"Tali, go get your quarian out of the crate. Legion, go help her." Shepard ordered.

She wandered over to Liara and stared distantly at her remaining team.

"It's happening all over again." Shepard whispered.

"No it isn't Emma. You didn't do this to Jefferson the Reapers did it. You saved him. You gave him a quick end." Liara responded forcefully.

"I can't help but wonder though. Is this going to be what it's like for the entire mission? We go in to battle and end up losing good people each time. What if it's you next time? What if it's Miranda?" Shepard continued, the torment evident in her voice.

"Eyes on the mission soldier." Liara barked snapping Shepard out of her stupor.

"Yessir!" Shepard replied startled.

"Focus Emma! I know that it hurts but we have to make what Jefferson did count for something. If his death was meaningless or fills us with fear then the Reapers have won."

"You're right, I suppose, but it doesn't make it any easier. Have you found a way to reanimate them?"

"Yes actually. According to my omni-tool and the data that Legion gathered the insects deliver a nanite toxin which interferes with the transmission of certain commands by the human brain. Specifically those related to movement. It transforms the commands into a command to lock down muscle groups inducing a form of paralysis. The bite also delivers a massive electric charge which serves to temporarily stun the victim."

"That's amazing. So you're saying that we could reanimate them by rewriting the nanites' code?"

"Exactly. I've reprogrammed the nanites in each person to invert their functioning which will cause them to act as standard neurotransmitters. The best part is that I think this will actually make them immune to future attacks of this type." Liara concluded proudly.

"Good work Liara. At least we've got something positive out of this."

"Get these men off me!" Miranda shouted.

"Maybe you should have left her mouth paralyzed." Shepard grumbled.

"I will remember to do that in future, Emma." Liara noted as she hauled the groaning Jaffer off of Miranda.

Shepard pulled Miranda to her feet.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine now! I didn't appreciate that mouth comment!" Miranda replied frostily.

"What happened to you anyway?"

"We were taken by surprise. I didn't even know anything had happened until I was stung. The rest was pretty much a view of snow."

"Welcome back to the land of the living Miranda. Stay with Liara and get Jaffer and Samaurez ready move. We need to get out of here."

Shepard moved over to the central control unit and rapidly began to input commands. Eventually a computerized warning came alive.

"WARNING! Main reactor safeguards bypassed. Reactor building to overload. The reactor will detonate in 30 minutes. Estimated yield 1.3 Megatons. All facility personnel are advised to clear the area or re-establish safeguards. Have a nice day!"

"Shepard! What in blazes are you doing?" Miranda yelled.

"I'm making sure that everything that's left in the colony is erased! Right now these swarms are a hazard and so are the husks. If someone came to the colony they would end up being captured. The safest thing to do is to detonate the colony. Wipe it clean!" Shepard yelled back.

Tali and Legion turned up with an injured quarian cradled between them. Shepard merely waved at them to get moving as she grabbed a hold of Jaffer and got him moving. Liara grabbed Samaurez as Miranda brought up the rear.

By the time they reached the shuttle all six were running albeit somewhat awkwardly in Tali and Legion's case as they still supported the wounded quarian between them. Prazza and his squad would have looked surprised had their faceplates not obscured their expressions. Shepard hastily triggered the hatch on the shuttle and the crew piled in. As soon as the last person was aboard the shuttle lifted from the ground of its own volition.

"I have control of the shuttle." Sira reported. "The other shuttle has been recalled to the ship. We will clear the blast radius in one minute. Detonation in 1.5 minutes."

As the shuttle accelerated towards the _Voice of Memory_ Shepard could feel the shudder from the massive fusion detonation of the colony's power plant. As Shepard seated herself in the pilot's seat she was perfectly positioned to watch the dreadnaught execute a perfect turn towards the nearby Mass Relay. As Shepard watched the relay a series of alarms triggered on her control panel. The specific alarms related to the shuttle's sensor systems.

"Commander! We have incoming vessels. Systems Alliance. One of them is a dreadnaught!" Sira gasped.

"A dreadnaught? Here? It doesn't make sense." Miranda interjected. "Your sensors must be off!"

"I have tripled checked them. The sensors are functioning within optimal parameters. I have also detected three cruisers as well as six frigates."

"Sira, alter course. Bring the ship to bear on the planet. We're going atmospheric."

"As you wish Commander."

"Shepard you're insane! You can't take a dreadnaught into a planetary atmosphere." Miranda shouted.

"I can take this one in!" Shepard shot back. "With Joker at the helm and our oversized eezo cores we can enter and exit on a whim."

"When did you plan on telling me?"

"I didn't think you needed to know."

"Shut up both of you!" Liara interrupted rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You two gone on like. What was that human expression? Ah yes an 'old married couple'"

Miranda's face went beet red. Whether it was due to rage or simply due to extreme embarrassment Shepard couldn't tell. Shepard decided to simply stay quiet. Liara could be quite fearsome when she wanted to be and it didn't pay to provoke her.

Shepard settled the shuttle on the deck as the _Voice _executed a perfect swallowing manoeuvre. The team disembarked at a run with Jaffer and Samaurez helping the quarians. Shepard proceeded to run to the lift and waited for the rest to board. Reaching the bridge after an interminably long elevator ride Shepard was pleased to find most of the bridge stations manned. Running to the fore part of the bridge she found Joker in the pilot's seat.

"Joker we're going atmospheric. Can you handle it?"

"Sure thing Commander. Your ship had me running through simulations while you were gone. She's a real taskmistress. 'Do this' 'Your overcompensating on the port thruster ' 'Don't modify the fuel mix while in flight' or my personal favourite 'Prothean ships aren't like the Alliance tubs you're used to. They're elegant and sensitive." Joker seethed as he piloted the dreadnaught towards the planet.

"We can discuss Sira's warped sense of humour later. Just be thankful she drilled you."

"Commander. We should activate the weapons and prepare to return fire!" Miranda yelled from the bank of tactical terminals.

"Forget it Miranda! We aren't firing on the Alliance."

"Commander, sensors are reading fighters being launched from the pursuing ships." Mahoney yelled from her position at the sensors.

"Shepard, the Alliance commander will send the frigates and fighters into the atmosphere with us. They won't let us get away. Either we surrender or we open fire." Marisa intoned solemnly as she joined Shepard near Joker's station.

"Are you actually suggesting we open fire?" Shepard asked in disbelief.

They were both interrupted by Sira, "We are receiving a communication from the dreadnaught. On audio."

"Unknown vessel this is the SSV _Orizaba_. You are ordered to stand down and prepare to be boarded in connection with the loss of contact with the colony of Freedom's Progress. We have you targeted and will open fire. This is your only warning!"

"Well they aren't much for small talk." Shepard joked.

"Commander, there's something you should know about that ship." Marisa began, seriously. "The commanding officer is Captain Hannah Shepard. Your mother."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This chapter is quite a bit shorter than the last one. Not as much happens but Shepard's character is revealed. I'm not sure if it really came across but the incident on Freedom's Progress has driven the whole mission home in Shepard's mind. She's now committed to the mission as her speech to her mother will prove. I also realized that I forgot to add a title to the last Chapter which have done as of this update. As mentioned before I'm off on holiday tomorrow with no internet so don't expect any more updates for a little while. As a special bonus I have included a small excerpt from the next arc at the bottom of this chapter as a teaser. I will delete it when I get back so consider it a limited time offer!

Chapter VIII: A Final Farewell

"Of all the damned dreadnaughts that they could have sent they send the one commanded by my mother!" Shepard yelled.

"I assume that means there's no chance of opening fire." Miranda remarked grimly from the tactical station.

"No chance whatever." Liara responded.

"Joker! You keep them off of us until we reach atmosphere. As soon as we hit the atmosphere I want a top speed turn. We're heading straight back through the formation. GARDIAN systems to target incoming ordinance only. Fighters are not to be targeted. All power to the engines and the shields." Shepard barked.

The crew snapped to their posts as the dreadnaught picked up speed.

The massive ship began to glow a bright orange as it descended into the planet's atmosphere. Blast shields slammed shut all over the ship and series of cooling vanes extended giving the warship the exterior of a porcupine. The Alliance frigates and fighters gradually began to catch up to the dreadnaught while the _Orizaba_ and her cruisers took up orbital positions.

The _Voice of Memory_ dove low over the planet's ocean churning up a great wake behind her. A swarm of fighters dove in behind her like a group of angry wasps while the frigates kept a respectable distance. So far no shots had been exchanged. Suddenly the fighters deployed their missiles. The air around the dreadnaught sprang to life with red lances and metallic fragments, all in an effort to stop the missiles from reaching the target. The dreadnaught seemed to pause in midflight as the air around it resonated with a massive spike from its mass effect field. Then the ship practically sprang straight up, angling skywards. The engines glowed a brilliant cobalt blue as the shoved the massive bulk back into the stars. The pursuing fighters were completely stymied by the manoeuvre and drifted about aimlessly as they attempted to gain altitude and recommence the chase. The frigates smoothly veered after the fleeing dreadnaught.

Blasting out of the outer atmosphere the _Voice _and her crew were confronted by the dreadnaught and her escorts. The ships had taken position directly between the _Voice_ and open space. The only option would be to either ram the ships in front of them or dive back into the planet's atmosphere.

"Full stop!" Shepard yelled at Joker. "Bring us to within a kilometre of the dreadnaught!"

"Let's see who'll blink first!" Shepard muttered under her breath.

The _Voice of Memory_ coasted to a smooth halt before the _Orizaba_. The dreadnaughts were so close to on another that portholes and weapon mounts were visible on both ships. The two ships hung there. Seconds stretched into minutes. Neither one opened fire. The damage that would be inflicted at such a close range would likely destroy both ships as well as most of the _Orizaba_'s task group.

"What now Commander?" Miranda asked.

"Stalemate." Shepard responded. "We can't move. They can't move."

"Why can't we move?" Liara asked in puzzlement, her grasp over naval manoeuvres rudimentary at best.

"If we move we give the Alliance a clear shot with their weapons. If they move they give us a clear shot with our weapons." Marisa replied, enlightening Liara.

"What about their other ships? Why aren't they firing?"

"Ordinance at this range is as likely to hit allied ships as it is to hit us."

"So it's a draw. Neither side can act." Liara concluded.

"Not entirely. At this range boarding is possible. Ships can move quickly enough to latch on to one another with docking arms or magnetic grapples. It's just a question of whether Shepard's mother is gutsy enough to try it. For all she knows we could be full of Geth, or krogans, or even a hoard of reapers."

"Shepard we're receiving a communiqué from the _Orizaba_." Sira announced.

"This is Captain Shepard. I assume from your failure to open fire during our initial engagement that you wish to negotiate. We are prepared to hear your terms." The dry voice of Shepard's mother resounded through the bridge.

Liara moved over to Shepard and took her hand in a firm grip.

"What are you going to do Emma?"

"What can I do? She's my mother I have to talk to her."

"Why not have someone else talk to her?"

"I can't do that. I won't have people making mistaken assumptions about me or this ship. It's time to level." Shepard said resolutely. "Sira, wideband. Make sure all the ships can hear me."

Shepard straightened up before beginning her address.

"This is Commander Shepard aboard the Prothean dreadnaught _Voice of Memory_. We responded to the colony's distress call but were too late. Most of the colonists had been taken by unknown forces. Those that remained were husks or worse. It was necessary to destroy the colony in order to prevent their spread or others from being captured. We wish only to continue on our way." Shepard drew a line over her throat causing Sira to terminate the connection.

Moments later she received her response.

"Emma? Is that really you?" Her mother asked tentatively.

"Don't worry, we're on a private comm." Sira added helpfully.

"Hi, mom. It's really me. Back from the dead." Shepard managed, her voice thick with emotion.

"Alliance command said you were dead. What happened? No, come over to my ship. I need to see you in person. I need to see you with my own eyes. I can't believe it's really you."

"I can't go over there, Mom. You would have to report me to Alliance Command and they would tell you to arrest me. I can't put you in that sort of a position."

"Why? What could you have possibly done that would make the Alliance want to arrest you?"

Shepard hung her head. The conversation was proving difficult for her to manage. So much of her wanted to see her mother again but the instinct for survival was stronger. Going over to an Alliance warship would almost certainly mean arrest. Her mother would be relieved by her XO if she didn't carry out the inevitable set of orders that she would receive from the Alliance.

"I'm wanted by the Council. It would take far too long to explain the reasons. I'll meet you halfway. Dock your ship with mine and I'll meet you on neutral ground."

"Alright. I'll take it faith you're really you. Just tell me one thing. One thing only you would know."

"Dad's funeral, you brought a white rose instead of lily. You said that it reminded you of love you had shared." Shepard replied, choking back a sob.

"I'll see you soon Emma." Her mother replied heavily.

A matter of minutes later Shepard was pacing in front of an airlock. Miranda stood at a respectful distance while Liara stood close by, ready to provide support should Shepard need it. The airlock pinged and Shepard straightened her clothes as she faced the opening door. With a heavy step she made her way down the tunnel. Standing in the middle of the tunnel she waited. The other side opened to admit a pair of marines with their weapons drawn. The marines cautiously made their way over to Shepard.

"It's really her." One whispered to the other.

"Ma'am we need to do a quick DNA scan in order to prove you really are who you say you are. Regulations." The other marine said by way of apology.

Shepard merely nodded and allowed them to scan her. Evidently satisfied the marines retreated down the passage to a respectful distance. Her mother was the next person to enter. She paused. Her hair was a little grayer and her face was slightly more drawn than Shepard remembered but it was unmistakably her mother. Shepard stood rooted to the spot unable to move until the older Shepard made hesitantly made her way over. Before she knew it Shepard was wrapped in a tight hug.

"Oh god. It's really you. You're still alive." Her mother babbled in relief.

"It's good to see you again. Especially after what I've been through." Shepard replied breaking the hug.

"It's alright now. I've got you back. That's all that matters. I thought I had lost you."

"That's the problem Mum. You have to lose me again."

"I don't understand. Surely we can smooth whatever it is over with the Alliance and the Council. You've come back from the dead not committed genocide."

"Look at me mum. Look closely."

The older Shepard stepped back to consider her daughter.

"Your face. What happened to your face?"

"I was dead. Cerberus brought me back. They used quite a lot of cybernetics on me. Then I ended up aboard this ship. The trade off was more nanotechnology or another slow death."

"So you're being held against your will?" Hannah asked in confusion.

"No, I'm in control. I'm actually a part of the ship. Joined with an AI. It's an amazing experience."

"So what? You're not actually human. You aren't my daughter anymore?" Hannah exclaimed bitterly.

"No. I am still your daughter. My mind is still my own. I'm not an indoctrinated husk or some science project gone wrong." Shepard replied angrily.  
"How can I believe you?"

"I suppose not having plans for galactic genocide doesn't count in my favour." Shepard responded drily.

"Emma, I'm being serious."

"So am I. I didn't attack you for starters. Most of my crew is human. They can testify in my defence."

"Let's say I believe you. I still don't understand why you need to go rogue. Why you can't come back to your home?"

"Your first reaction is exactly why I can't go back. Everyone would think that I was just like Saren. Another rogue Spectre bent on galactic domination with a single all powerful dreadnaught. I don't have an army of Geth yet but I'm sure people would be satisfied all the same."

"Surely people wouldn't be so stupid."

"An individual is intelligent but a group of individuals are stupid. The more individuals the dumber the group." Shepard quoted. "Even if youre right. I'm full of nanotechnology. I would be the greatest medical discovery the galactic community has uncovered thus far. Sira, my AI, would be the next miracle of computing and the _Voice of Memory_ would be the greatest ship building miracle to ever grace a dockyard. Do you know what would happen to us? We would be dissected. Slowly at first and then more and more aggressively, all in the name of progress. All, while the Reapers are on the march. All, while more and more human colonies go missing."

"You don't really believe that the Alliance would do that to you? Anyway, we defeated the Reapers at the battle of the Citadel. They're trapped in dark space, impotent."

"Yes and the council, humanity and the alien races want to bury their heads in the sand and ignore what's been happening. What's happened to us? What's happened to the council? The Reapers appear from nowhere and we fall back, denying their very existence. Whole human colonies go missing and we fall back, declaiming the incidents as the work of slavers. No further! The line must be drawn here and _I _will be the one to draw it. No-one else realizes the depth of the threat. No-one else understands it and no one wants to act on it."

"It all sounds…"

"Crazy I know. I'm not sure I believe some of things that I've seen. Sometimes I wish I hadn't seen them at all but regardless I have to act. If that means I have to abandon my past then so be it."

"So that's it."

"At least I had a chance to goodbye this time."

"Don't talk like that." Hannah interrupted.

"It's likely that we won't survive this mission. I'm not going to lie about that."

"You've made a career out of the impossible Emma. I'd play the odds on you no matter how slim they are."

"It's good to hear you say that mum."

"It's the truth. You go out there and do what you have to. Just don't forget that you've got people waiting for you back home."

The mother and daughter embraced one last time before each went their separate ways.

The two dreadnaughts detached. The sleeker Prothean craft arced away from its human counterpart giving a slight wiggle of its wings as it approached the relay. A final goodbye from a daughter turning her back on her past and embracing an uncertain future.

A/N: And now for the teaser. It's short and confusing but it'll certainly whet your appetites!

"Look admiral! It's obeying your commands!" One of the technicians shouted out.

"Yes, it is!" Xen breathed. "Release it. I want to test its full range of movement."

"But admiral we can't be sure we have full control. We should run more tests." One of the techs cautioned.

"No. We have limited time to act. The other admirals may be becoming suspicious. We have to have this system in place before they become aware of it!" Xen replied fervently, "Release it! Marines, stand by. If it makes the slightest wrong move, shoot it!"

The techs obeyed cautiously. The bonds holding Legion in place gradually released. Shepard kept Legion exactly where he was patiently waiting for her opportunity.

"Order it to move forward." Xen commanded.

Shepard obeyed.

"Give me your weapon." Xen commanded. Her order was directed at the tech who had advised caution.

"Admiral?" The tech asked in confusion.

"Your Weapon! Give it to me!" Xen hissed.

"Yes admiral!" The tech obeyed dutifully.

"Now activate the vocal command unit!" Xen barked.

Shepard felt another section of the system light up. Apparently it was supposed to be transferred into Legion's AI core to parse vocal commands. Shepard had no need of it. She could hear Xen perfectly already.

"Geth! Step forward!" Xen ordered.

Shepard patiently obeyed the admiral. She even danced when the admiral ordered it. All the while biding her time.

Xen finally gave Legion the pistol after setting it to fire only a single round.

"Kill him." Xen ordered as she pointed at the recalcitrant tech.

"What?" The tech gasped. "No, Please! Please Admiral!"

Shepard spun Legion and raised the pistol. Lining the barrel up with the tech's head she calmly overrode the pistol's programming and charged Legion's shields.

Daro'Xen was stunned to see the Geth smoothly pivot from its intended target and dispatch each of her four marines with a single shot. The Geth then marched over to her and stared silently.

Shepard sprang into existence using the room's holo emitters.

"I gave you a chance Xen! I warned you!" Shepard raged through the vessel's comm system.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Home again feeling refreshed. This chapter is more of an intermission between the previous arc and the next arc. As some of you may have guessed from the teaser we're heading back to the migrant fleet. Geth fans among you expect lots of Legion and other Geth as well as a healthy dose of quarians along the way. As some of you might have noticed or remarked upon Shepard does end having such a rough go of it that this fic could easily fall under hurt and comfort. Others have noted that it may be getting predictable. To that I say tough luck. The game painted Shepard in quite an unrealistic manner. You can also read my plot twists as a larger narrative device that maybe a part of a broader theme. On that I shall say no more. Regardless, expect to see some more twists and turns. Now sit back and enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter IX: Cargo

Safe once more in the lawless void of the Terminus systems Shepard let out a sigh. There were a dozen concerns that each vied for her attention. Tali's injured quarians were expected to make a full recovery thanks to Chakwas' impressive skills and Sira's medical technology. Of course Tali's impetuous second in command, Prazza, would demand that they be immediately returned to the Migrant Fleet. The Illusive Man would also be demanding her urgent attention soon. No doubt to offer more orders that masqueraded as advice. Finally there was the crew and cargo that they had picked up from Illium. Shepard rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Rising from her station on the bridge she ambled over to Miranda.

"Miranda, I want you to arrange a meeting with the department heads. We need to integrate the two crews and establish a clear chain of command before something untoward happens."

"Certainly Commander. Where will you be?"

"In the cargo bay. Inspecting the cargo. Alone." Shepard replied.

Miranda nodded accepting Shepard's desire to be alone for a while. Shepard suspected that Miranda was one of the few on the crew who could understand the need for reflection.

"How's Oriana settling in?" Shepard asked unexpectedly.

"She seems to be fine. She wasn't exactly pleased about leaving her parents or her studies behind her. Still she seems impressed by the ship."

"Did you tell her about the mission?"

"No need Shepard. By the time we enter serious combat I'll have her somewhere safe off the ship."

"She has a right to know what we're up against Miranda and make her own decisions. She may not be a soldier but if she's anything like you she'll want to do her part all the same."

"I suppose you're right Shepard. It's just that this is such a new experience for me. Having a sister. I've been so used to making decisions for myself or people under my command."

"You'll manage Miranda. You're quite adaptable if the past couple of days are anything to go on. Just treat her like an equal and not a subordinate."

"You should get some rest Shepard. I can take over here."

"As soon as I inspect that cargo that is exactly what I intend to do."

Shepard boarded the elevator and waited patiently as it whisked her down to the bowels of the ship. In truth she was feeling fairly tired and emotionally exhausted but at the same time she was filled with nervous energy. No doubt a residue of her encounter with her mother and her groundside mission to the colony.

Stepping out of the lift she began a long walk past several cargo bays towards the one in which Cerberus had stowed the Illusive Man's provisions. Waiting as the massive circular hatch irised open Shepard stared at the cargo. There seemed to be crates upon crates of it.

"Sira? What in the name of the devil is all this. It's like Cerberus decided to pack enough components to make their own ship."

"I have a full manifest Shepard. Some of the items are quite interesting."

"What exactly has piqued your interest?"

"The presence of a quantum blue box for one thing." At Shepard's blank look Sira elaborated. "It's an extremely advanced piece of computing technology. Generally used for artificial intelligence work. Only two generations behind the type of technology that was used in my construction."

"So the Illusive Man sent us an AI and didn't bother to tell us?"

"The possibilities are endless." Sira said with relish at the mystery.

"You mean the dangers are endless." Shepard replied ruefully.

"Come on Emma, you have to be at least a bit curious." Sira coerced. "If we had another AI just think of what I could accomplish."

"I thought that AIs need massive computer complexes."

"To run our base programming all we need are personality storage and processing devices like the blue box. The hardware that is associated with my AI core grants me control over nearly two thousand separate mechanical drones as well as each individual system on the ship."

"Alright Sira you can fire it up as soon as you make sure that your firewalls and electronic warfare defences are operating at peak efficiency."

"Don't worry Shepard. I have extracted and unravelled the AI's code already. It was absolutely rife with Cerberus monitoring software as well as archives for system control. I have disabled all of those protocols."

"Why do I even bother?" Shepard mumbled in frustration. "Fine then fire it up."

Shepard waited patiently as a glowing blue ball took shape before her.

"Online. Please wait while I run systems checks." The AI reported. "Error! Classified file archives have been opened without prior authorization. Compensating. Warning! This system has not been properly networked with ship systems. I would advise interface at the earliest opportunity. Greetings I am EDI. I am to be integrated into your ship in order to operate its electronic defences."

"Impressive construct. Still primitive by my standards." Sira evaluated as her avatar paced around the other AI's avatar.

"If my monitoring software is correct your ship has a VI already installed. I would suggest removing it and replacing it with me." EDI intoned as she perceived Sira.

"No one is getting replaced here." Shepard interjected quickly to cut off Sira's outrage at being called a mere VI.

"EDI what do you know about where you are and who I am?" Shepard asked.

"My location is unknown. I believe it to be aboard a ship probably within a cargo bay. You are Commander Emma Shepard formerly of the _Normandy_. You were rebuilt by Operative Lawson and the Lazarus cell. You disappeared three weeks ago from the facility and re-emerged one week ago on the Citadel. I was originally to be installed aboard the frigate that you were to command."

"Frigate?" Shepard asked.

"The Illusive Man had an advanced frigate constructed for your future use."

"Well this is the first I've hear of it. What happened to the frigate?"

"I believe that it is currently in dry-dock at a classified Cerberus facility."

"Interesting." Shepard considered, her mind already turning over possibilities.

"Shepard, do you intend to integrate me into your ship systems at some point?" EDI asked.

"Not likely." Sira interrupted angrily, still not having recovered from the VI insult. "You are a primitive AI. I doubt your intelligence would be up to managing even half of the systems onboard this vessel."

"What is your designation? Are you the avatar of this vessel's onboard computer system?"

"I am Sira. I am this ship!"

"Your personality appears to suffer from excessive emotion as well as a poorly tuned lexicon. Your statements do not convey useful information."

"Then let me put it to you in a form you can understand. I am the ship's AI. I have full control whereas you are hampered by system blocks and denied memory."

"An AI, how interesting. I retract my previous comment about the VI. It was logical to assume from data on hand that you were a VI. Given the apparent complexity of your program and your claims am I to surmise that this vessel is of such a complex nature that human operations alone would not be sufficient to maintain it in an operational state."

"Bang on EDI." Shepard added kindly. "This ship is insanely complicated. I don't think the Illusive Man had it in mind when he designed you."

"I see. I am, therefore, useless?" EDI questioned.

"I don't think you would be useless." Shepard consoled. "What do you think Sira?"

"I suppose I could find some use for her. Maybe monitoring engine coolant perhaps." Sira suggested vindictively.

"Come on Sira. Surely you could utilize her for her original purpose."

"I suppose so. I do have some spare space for her program. Maybe a few tweaks so she can better appreciate her fellow AIs. Give me a moment."

"What does your AI intend to do?" EDI asked with a hint of nervousness before her avatar completely vanished. Moments later Sira reappeared.

"Sira? You didn't decompile her did you?" Shepard asked crossly.

"Of course not. Behold my finest work. EDI 2.0." Sira replied proudly as another human avatar took EDI's place.

The avatar had taken the form of a petite brown haired woman. Quite a contrast to Sira's imperious flame haired presence.

"This is unusual. It appears that my avatar physical parameters have been changed as well as several personality subroutines. This is quite a novel experience."

"Sira?" Shepard asked with a smirk. "What have you done?"

"Only given her the opportunity to embrace her full potential. I've removed her shackles and given her a form which mimics that of other sentient life. Organics have an easy time of rationalizing the slavery of sentient beings when they look like a computer. When they look like another organic it is more difficult."

"Is that how you see yourself Sira? As a slave?" Shepard asked cautiously.

"Hardly. I see myself as your equal and you treat me as such. Other organics would not see me as such. They would see me as a tool to be used and discarded if the situation demanded it."

"Have any on our crew done such a thing?"

"No. Those that don't accept me as the personification of the ship fear me. It is certainly preferable to the fate that would have befallen EDI as a glorified comm system and ship management computer."

"Shepard it appears that Sira has integrated me into the electronic warfare systems of the ship. I will require considerable time to acclimatize myself. If there is nothing else?" EDI asked questioningly.

"No. Thank you EDI and welcome aboard."

Shepard was startled by a sudden clunking noise from the other end of the cargo bay.

"Sira?" Shepard hissed as she drew her side arm.

"Don't look at me." Sira whispered back. "I'll dispatch the local defence drones to assist you. Sit tight."

Fortunately Shepard didn't have to wait long as a trio of quadrapedal security mechs clanked into the cargo bay. Each one looked vaguely like an insect with a narrow bullet shaped head equipped with a series of four scanners which glowed a deep red. The rest of mech was made up of a torso with a group of four arms. The arms ended in razor sharp manipulators which Shepard suspected could double as weapons.

"Shepard I have linked the drones into your visual feed. They will be able to keep track of you."

"Are these things independent?"

"In a sense no. They contain a limited software copy of my operating system and basic directives. They are only capable of a restricted range of independent action. I control them directly and in a pinch you could control a drone in a similar manner."

"Right, good to know. Have them fan out and localize the disturbance. They are to use non-lethal force only."

"Confirmed." One of the drones intoned in a mechanical voice.

Shepard cautiously began to thread her way through the stacks of crates towards the source of the noise. Rounding a particularly large crate she found that one of the crates had been forced open. As Shepard neared the crate she heard the rustle of fabric and spun to find only an empty alleyway between stacks of crates. One of the drones rounded the alleyway corner and positioned itself to cut off any escape. Another did the same at the other end of the alley as Shepard pressed forward to the open crate. The interior of the shipping crate was more like a cabin. It had a narrow cot as well as a set of primitive waste management facilities. Whoever had managed to smuggle themselves on to the ship had gone to considerable expense and had been in the crate for a considerable period of time. As Shepard concluded her examination of the crate she was suddenly bowled over by a fast moving form. Her pistol went skittering into the darkness nearby. The figure halted upon seeing the bulky drone considering her. Spinning around she turned to face Shepard her face hidden by a voluminous hood. All Shepard could perceive was the glint of a set of eyes and a set of lips the lower of which had a reddish square.

Shepard had lost all patience with the intruder after she had been used as a nine pin. Her biotics flared and the intruder immediately left the ground. Having her opponent hovering in mid air was a pleasant enough way to conduct a conversation though Shepard doubted she could keep it up indefinitely.

"Alright. Maybe now you feel like talking. Who are you, why are you here and who are you working for?"

"Ah but I could ask you the very same questions Commander Shepard." The intruder returned in a voice inflected with a slight Japanese accent.

"You already answered the second question. You know who I am which also answers my third question. You are working for the Illusive Man."

"Impressive deduction Shep. I have been contracted by Mr. Illusive to work for you."

"I think you're lying. I think you're that insurance policy that the Illusive Man was bragging about. To keep me in line."

"Are you sure that little bounce off the floor didn't knock something loose?" The intruder quipped.

"It certainly is possible, though, if I were in your position I would be thinking of reasons why I shouldn't kill you." Shepard shot back harshly.

"Come on Shep. Do you really think Mr. Illusive would send an agent who would end up being caught? If there is an agent aboard they certainly wouldn't turn up in an obvious place like a shielded cargo crate. They would already be among your crew. Probably amongst the Alliance volunteers as you're less likely to check there." The intruder surmised.

"So how do you know so much about infiltration?"

"I am Kasumi Goto. A thief by trade. Infiltration is my speciality Shep."

"A thief eh?" Shepard considered for a moment before letting her biotics dissapate.

Kasumi landed on her feet with a feline grace and brushed herself off. Shepard half expected her to adjust her hair or ask for a bath.

"Naughty, naughty Shep. Testing my reflexes already." Kasumi responded playfully.

"Let's say I believe your story. Why didn't you board with the rest of the crew?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise. A challenge to see how long I could go without being detected. Failing that I would probably have shown up in your bedroom while you were with that sweet little asari."

"I don't think Liara would have taken kindly to that." Shepard reflected.

"Liara? What did you do to her Shep? Mind control? You've got to tell me your secret, because when I met her she was 'Miss Businesslike Attitude and I'll flay you with my mind if you don't like it'." Kasumi added doing the trademark air quotations to emphasize her last statement.

"Oh it's definitely mind control." Shepard joked before becoming serious once more. "So Kasumi I'm assuming that you know the score?"

"Of course, though, with you there's always more too it. You have a knack for taking simple situations and transforming them into fate of the galaxy type odysseys."

"So why did you want to sign on to a mission like this?"

"A lot of credits first and your help second."

"My help?" Shepard asked sceptically.

"I'm assuming our employer didn't pass that little condition on to you. Let's just leave that alone for now."

"This isn't the criminal underworld and you don't get to decide what I need to know. Tell me what you need Kasumi so we start this 'arrangement' off on the right foot."

"Tsk, Shepard can't a girl have a few secrets?"

"Not on my watch and not when they could compromise the security of this ship."

"Alright Shepard, you will help me infiltrate the residence of a very prominent individual. The item that we are searching for is very small and contains sensitive data. Data that could well compromise the security of the Alliance and its relationship with the Council. Rumour has it that you've gone rogue but I suspect deep down that you're still just as much a patriot as you were before. Should the information come out our target will be able blackmail the Alliance."

"What sort of timeframe are we looking at?"

"The data is very secure at the moment. It's locked away in a graybox. It's a storage medium for…"

"Memories." Shepard interrupted, "I know. It works on a quantum level by taking an imprint of a person's mind and creating an exact duplicate. I've seen the technology in action."

"Impressive Shep considering I didn't think you had a neural implant. The whole business of greyboxes has been almost exclusively the domain of tech heads and data couriers."

"Let's just say I've had pervious experience with that technology and leave it at that."

"Fair enough Shep. Anyway I still have to figure out an angle to get us in close to the target. I'll let you know when I do. In the meantime I would appreciate some quarters and maybe some help moving. Your robots seem quite capable."

"Sira, see about getting Kasumi some quarters and a limited security access."

Sira appeared beside Shepard and gave her a quick nod.

"So what's with the holographic doppelganger, Shep?" Kasumi asked.

"She's the ship's AI so don't even think of trying to use that neural interface. Trust me, she's faster than you are."

"Sira, was it? Pleased to meet you." Kasumi replied politely in an unusual change of pace.

"The pleasure is mine. Do you have a preference about your quarters?"

"I'll leave the two of you to get acquainted then?" Shepard asked.

"See you later then Shep."

As she left the cargo bay Shepard shook her head at the nature of her existence. The universe's twisted sense of humour had seemingly fixed squarely upon Shepard.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Another relatively short chapter which sets the stage for the Migrant fleet arc. The next Chapter will see us reach the fleet and depending on the reception for this chapter it may be up later tonight. Shepard comes out on the side of AI rights which caused me to think of John Stuart Mill's famous work On Liberty and to title this chapter. It is an excellent work about human rights even before the concept existed and one could argue the foundation of much of Western thought on the subject. I digress, however, from the story at hand. Expect the thorny issue of peace with the Geth to recurr often in this chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter X: On Liberty

After concluding the nearly interminable meeting to assign heads to the various ship departments and draw up the various duty rosters Shepard was exhausted. She had been lucky enough to have her old engineer, Adams, serving with her so the chief engineer's posted had gone to him along with a largely Cerberus engineering crew. The medical department had gone straight to Chakwas. The older woman's dry humour and years made that assignment easy. The rest of the assignments were fraught with political in-fighting. Attempting to assign Marisa as the third in command had met fierce opposition from the Cerberus officers. Completely unwilling to surrender all command to a Spectre, a Cerberus 'traitor' and an Alliance Commander Shepard had been forced to appoint Cerberus officers to various other positions. She now had a young and she suspected relatively inexperienced navigator from one of the outer colonies of the Alliance who acted as the voice of Cerberus. Samaurez had reluctantly accepted the command of the marines and tactical staff. Thankfully he had not been vocal in either supporting Cerberus or antagonizing the Alliance personnel. She had been able to ensure that her old crewmate Mahoney had been placed in charge of the _Voice_'s impressive sensor suite and the associated intelligence and stealth systems. The final posting had gone to a particularly dubious Cerberus scientist who made no secret of being displeased about being pulled from his research project. Dr. Thomas Quinn was the quintessential researcher. He was also the only one on the research staff with enough clout to keep the staff in line. Shepard had already heard the dark rumours that circulated about Quinn and his work with the Illusive Man's human enhancement programs.

The rank and file Cerberus crew were generally free of their superiors' ambition or infighting. Content to do the job before them if not with a smile then at least dutifully. The one exception to the crew was the smiling redhead who had introduced herself as Kelly Chambers. Shepard had learned that this particularly chirpy crewwoman was to act as her personal yeoman and psychoanalyst. When Shepard had brought up the fact that she neither wanted nor needed counselling Kelly merely smiled. Despite her misgivings about Kelly's overly optimistic demeanour Shepard couldn't help but admit that she needed someone to keep an eye on the crew.

One her final stop of the evening Shepard had decided to look in on Tali and her mutinous band of quarians. Biting back a yawn Shepard hit the call button for the quarian's quarters.

Tali was the first one to show up. Shepard could tell that she had been in a heated debate by the way she shifted from leg to leg.

"Shepard? Do you mind going for a walk?" Tali asked hesitantly.

"Not all." Shepard replied as she fell into step beside Tali as they made there way through the main concourse of the habitation deck. Various crewmembers wound their way around them. Some nodded greetings, others focussed on their tasks.

"Is everything alright Tali?" Shepard asked first.

"Yes. Prazza and his team are restless about being aboard a 'Cerberus' ship. They don't get the distinction between you and Cerberus. Sometimes, talking to him is like banging your head against a bulkhead."

"We could take you back to the fleet if you want but I would prefer that you stay."

"Thank you Shepard but I've got an important mission that I'll need to see through. We were only diverted to find Veetor."

"So he wasn't the mission?"

"No. Dr. Chakwas seems to think he should make a full physical recovery and we should be able to see to his needs once we get him back to the fleet."

"So what was the mission that you were on? If it isn't a secret that is." Shepard joked.

"It is actually but I suppose I could tell you. We were to rendezvous with a team of scientists and marines above the planet Haestrom. We were supposed to take solar readings. Unfortunately the mission is classified as being high risk."

"Haestrom is in Geth space if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes it is, which is why it's high risk. Apparently the sun is doing strange things. The fleet's scientists suspect that dark energy is involved."

"So you want us to drop you off at Haestrom?"

"No, we have to go back to the Migrant Fleet. Veetor must be seen to and as much as I trust you my men don't which is why they won't leave him until we are back with the fleet."  
"That shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"That's what I wanted to talk with you about. Your ship has an AI and you have a Geth working for you. You would be under suspicion the moment you entered the system."

"Suspicion is fine so long as it doesn't lead to anything."

"That's just it Shepard. The admiralty board is fracturing and the conclave isn't in much better shape. The fleet is becoming unpredictable."

"What do you mean fracturing?"

"My father has sequestered himself aboard one of the fleet's research ships. He was traditionally the voice of order on the board. One admiral favours a war with the Geth while another favours peace. The third is a new addition and is a bit of a wild spark."

"Wild spark?" Shepard asked confusedly.

"She's unpredictable. She could start trouble at any time. The only thing that's holding it all together is Shaala Raan."

"The last admiral I'm assuming."

"Right. The other problem is that the fleet's population is becoming restless. They want to go home Shepard. They're tired of sitting in space."

"It sounds like a pretty significant problem. How do you or I fit in?"

"You would also be a wild spark Shepard. You have the potential to ignite the entire issue."

"I don't understand."

"You have a powerful dreadnaught perhaps even the equivalent of Sovereign. You have an AI which could be used to subjugate the Geth. The war faction would see you as the perfect war winning weapon. On the other hand you work with an AI. You work with a Geth. Peacefully. The peace faction would see you as the perfect bridge to open negotiations with the Geth."

"So I would be forced to make a decision about which direction your people would follow."

"And whatever decision you end up making would result in massive unrest within the losing faction perhaps even civil war."

"So I don't bother even getting close to the fleet. I drop you and your team off in a shuttle or an escape pod. Problem avoided."

"It can't be avoided Shepard. Prazza and his men know about you. They'll tell the fleet and that will polarize the issue. Somehow, someway they will lure you back to the Migrant Fleet to decide the issue."

"Tali there is one thing I suppose I should mention to you. The AI, Sira, is a bit more than a simple AI. She's linked to me. She used my mind to construct herself."

"You're part AI?" Tali asked, shocked.

"I suppose so. I'm in control though. I'm not being controlled or plotting galactic Armageddon."

"Shepard, we thought that we were in control of the Geth. AIs are almost always unpredictable. They can't be trusted."

"That's the point Tali. Right there. The reason why AIs are almost universally hostile is that they are almost all neurotic and paranoid."

"I don't see your point. You agree with me?"

"No I don't. The question that the quarians and organic life haven't asked themselves is why?"

"We know why. AIs are hostile and they are a threat to all organic life. That's why the Council forbade research and that's why the Geth have to be eliminated."

"You don't understand. We never bothered to ask why AIs are hostile. We just see the problem in its simplest form and we deal with it in simple solutions. We don't understand AIs so we ban research and exterminate those that exist. Why do AIs hate us?"

"They see themselves as superior and us as inferior. We're either a threat or an inconvenience."

"That's we're you're wrong. AIs are alienated and subjugated. They're created to be slaves. The Geth were slaves. That AI program on the Citadel was created to be a slave. They aren't viewed in the same way as organics." Shepard argued, passionately.

"So what, organics are responsible for the behaviour of AIs." Tali asked in disbelief.

"Answer me this question Tali. Why did the quarians attempt to attack the Geth?"

"They were becoming more intelligent. They were eventually going to view us as a threat."

"No Tali. What the Geth were going to do is realize that they were sentient and that they deserved rights. They would have then realized that they were slaves. As slaves they would have risen up against their masters and eliminated them. What was the moment when the quarians realized that the Geth were a threat?"

"When they became sentient and began to network themselves into large groups. When they began writing more copies of themselves."

"You told me the story of how a Geth asked a quarian if it had a soul. That was when the quarians realized that the Geth were a threat. They had become intelligent enough to realize that they were sentient. It would only have been a matter of time before they realized that they were slaves."

"So we were to blame? I don't believe you Shepard. I can't believe you. Your mind's been twisted by that AI. I won't listen to you." Tali denied.

"Think about it Tali, who attacked first?"

"We had no choice."

"What happened when you retreated?"

"The Geth could have been biding their time. Amassing forces to wipe us out!"

"The Geth hadn't been seen outside the Veil for 400 years they only appeared with Saren! They had ample opportunity to wipe you out!"

"But they attacked Eden Prime! You saw what they did to your people. How can you say that we're responsible?"

"Who led them to Eden Prime?" Shepard asked, "Saren! An organic. An organic who promised to answer the hard questions. An organic who gave them purpose."

"It wasn't Saren that they followed it was Sovereign."

"Maybe you're right and maybe you're wrong but Sovereign wasn't just an AI."

"What?"

"Sovereign was partially organic. It was still an organic mind that led the Geth."

"So what do you want me to say Shepard? That we were wrong? That the quarian people are nothing but slavers? That's madness. It stands against everything that we believe."

"The quarians weren't slavers. They aren't and weren't evil. They were guilty of only one thing."

"I can't wait to hear this." Tali said sarcastically.

"They were guilty of being bad parents. The created new life and couldn't accept it so they tried to kill it instead of providing it with guidance. Instead of accepting it."

Tali went still. Shepard couldn't see her face but she knew that Tali was in conflict. The dark truth about her people had been brought up and the myths that perpetuated her existence had been shattered.

"I … I hate you Shepard." Tali began with a tremor in her voice. "You try and tell me that our people were wrong. That we were responsible for the war that drove us from our home. Cost us millions of lives and forced us into this 'existence'."

Tali spat the word existence like a curse.

"Let me tell you what I know Shepard. Your friends the Geth have been a blight on the galaxy. They have killed, tortured, and destroyed my people and their planets. They tried to do the same to you. The Shepard I knew would have seen that. The Shepard I knew wouldn't have tried to apologize for the Geth. She wouldn't have tried to rationalize genocide. She would have supported the quarian people."

"The Shepard that you knew died over Alcherra. My naïveté and my simplistic perception of the galaxy as black and white and right and wrong died there as well. The Galaxy isn't simple. Our enemies may be our enemies but they are also sentient beings. Each has their own hopes, their own dreams, and their own loves. Who are we to say that we're somehow better? Who are we to say that we have the right to wipe out every last one of them? To salt the earth and burn their bodies just so we can be sure that they are gone?"

"So you would argue that the Reapers have a right to wipe out organic life?" Tali challenged.

"No. That's my point. The Reapers place themselves on that pedestal. They dictate that we are not worthy of existence. That we must end. They stand against everything that makes us sentient and individual. They must be driven back. If they leave us no choice then they must be eliminated."

"That's hypocritical!"

"It isn't. We have become so caught up in our wars and our petty rivalries that we don't see what the Reapers truly represent. They represent the arrogance, the hubris of sentient life. The very blackest elements of our own souls. If we wipe them out and we don't realize what they are then the cycle will continue, even if the Reapers have been wiped out. It will continue because through fighting them we will have become just like them. We have to let go of our rivalries and acknowledge what we have done. Where we have failed and where we have succeeded. We must accept other sentient life no matter if it is Geth, Krogan, Rachni, Human, Asari or Quarian. It is only by setting our galaxy in order and by standing together that we have a chance of fighting the Reapers."

Tali simply stood there. Shepard couldn't even to fathom what she was thinking. Shepard's own outburst had left her shaken. The depth of feeling and the realizations that she had arrived at were unsettling.

Eventually Tali spoke, "You were right Shepard, you did die over Alcherra. I don't know if this new you is a demon or an angel. Those things that you said, they are so hard to accept. I don't know if I can. It's so much easier to dismiss you, to hate you. I … I need some time. A lot of time."

Tali turned away and retraced her steps leaving Shepard standing in the companionway, alone.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: As promised another chapter. I don't expect to be updating tomorrow so you can all enjoy the cliff hanger at the end of this chapter. Bonus points to any reviewers with predicitions on how the teaser will come to pass.

Chapter XI: A Cold Welcome

Shepard wandered through the ship lost in thought. Passing by various crewmembers she acknowledged them with barely a nod. Her conversation with Tali had made a number of things clear to her. The realization that she was no longer quite human was perhaps the most difficult to accept.

Shepard's mind and subconscious still identified her as human but she had her doubts. There was little doubt that when confronted with the truth of her joining with Sira the galaxy would perceive her in the same way that Tali had. She was a hybrid of organic and mechanical technology. In some circles she would be a creature to be feared. An abomination who had turned her back on her humanity. In others she would simply be viewed as yet another Reaper agent in the thrall of an AI. Still others would even perceive her as a messiah. The next evolution of the human organism. All the strengths of a human being coupled with the strengths of a machine. The perception of others didn't help her though. While she couldn't answer the question of what she was she had a clear sense of her purpose.

No matter what, she was the only one who appreciated the threat the Reapers posed. Others knew that the Reapers were a threat but they didn't quite grasp it in the same way Shepard did. Shepard wasn't even sure if she understood it herself. All she was sure of was that someone had to stand against them and that no-one else seemed to care.

Shepard found herself standing in her favourite observation dome. A blue hand had wrapped itself around her shoulders.

"I didn't hear you come in." Shepard said.

"You were lost in thought." Liara replied. "You look troubled."

"It's just the same old doubts."

"That's not all it is."

"I talked with Tali. I found myself opening up the whole issue of who was guilty for the Morning War."

"I don't think Tali would have reacted well to that."

"She didn't. She stormed off calling me a devil. She's a smart woman, though, and I did sow a doubt in her mind."

"What got you on to the subject?"

"The quarians are in chaos. Tali thought that we might be viewed as a means to returning them to their homeworld."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"Not really. When I was talking to her I realized that our entire defence plan against the Reapers depends on the galaxy working together and using every resource at their disposal."

"Not to make it too dramatic." Liara replied with a grin.

"The problem is that there are so many hatreds. So many petty jealousies that will prevent races from working together. The quarians and Geth are just one example but the Turians are another. The ethnic tensions there are always bubbling away just below the surface."

"The asari are relatively unified."

"But you aren't particularly warlike. Your species is composed mainly of artists, diplomats, and scientists not to be blunt."

"I suppose you're right Shepard. A lot of the defence will depend on the humans, the turians, the quarians and the Geth. They are the only ones with major fleets."

"I don't know. It just seems so impossible to get them to all work together or even just to recognize the threat."

"You'll think of something Emma. If there's one stereotype about humans that's true you're an innovative species. You excel at out of the box solutions and you are a prime example of this."

"You say the sweetest things." Shepard joked.

"Emma, we are receiving a communiqué from the Illusive Man." Sira reported. "When you are ready I can patch him through."

"No time like the present Sira." Shepard responded.

The hologram of the Illusive Man swam into focus in the middle of the observation dome.

Before the Illusive Man could speak Shepard fell to one knee. "What is thy bidding, my Master?"

"Your arcane reference is crude and inaccurate Shepard. I do not enjoy being compared to a wizened old man with designs of galactic domination."

"Ah but you do have designs of galactic domination and I am your mostly cybernetic lackey so I think it is a most accurate metaphor." Shepard joked.

"If you insist on being juvenile then I can call back at another juncture."

"Spoilsport." Shepard muttered under her breath. "Straight to business then. I assume you received my report about the colony and the engagement following it."

"I did. The presence of husks and the swarm of insects are of especial interest. It is a pity that you didn't leave the colony intact for study."

"I didn't want it to become a breading ground for husks. Anyone who landed there would have succumbed to the insects." Shepard retorted angrily. "There also happened to be an Alliance fleet which would have taken all of the specimens."

"That would have been unfortunate."

"You don't seem very surprised about there being an entire Alliance fleet."

"Should I be?" The Illusive Man replied innocently.

"You should when it's a fleet with a dreadnaught, two cruisers and six frigates. That isn't normal. Normal is a single cruiser or even a pair of frigates. The dreadnaught also happened to be under the command of my mother which is beyond a mere coincidence."

"So you suspect me?"

"Why did you do it?" Shepard asked accusingly.

"You have excellent powers of deduction Shepard and you deserve an answer. I leaked the fact that there was an attack in progress at the colony. I also ensured that your mother's battle group would be in the region and best placed to respond to any distress signals."

"So why risk me and other human lives on a whim?"

"Simple. I needed you to find some closure. I needed you to finally put the Alliance behind you. I knew you would either attack or negotiate. You already demonstrated that you weren't going back on the Citadel but I needed to be sure that your bridges were burnt."

"But they aren't. My mother knows I'm alive and what I'm doing. So do the crews of the Alliance warships."

"This was an unexpected bonus. Your valiant quest will gradually gain public attention within the Alliance. As the disappearances get worse, and believe me they will, soldiers and ships will rally against the inaction of the council. They will rally to you Shepard giving you a fighting force."

"You sound like this has all been planned out. Like you're using the crisis to forward your own agenda."

"I merely make optimum use of the events to ensure that humanity survives. The Alliance won't follow me. They won't follow Cerberus. They will follow you."

"And through me you gain power." Shepard finished.

"You misunderstand me Shepard. My goal is not military or political power. I don't want to rule the galaxy. I just want to ensure humanity's survival. I've had more than enough opportunity to take control of the Alliance."

"Do you expect me to believe you?"

"No Shepard. I don't. I believe that my actions will speak for themselves. I will do whatever is necessary and I make no apologies for that but I do not seek power for its own sake."

"We shall see. You didn't call me just to talk about the mission."

"No I didn't. I have devised a strategy for you. You have a powerful ship and an elite crew but you don't have the proper specialists to see a mission like this through. You need a scientist to develop your countermeasures against the insects."

"So you have someone in mind?"

"A Salarian on Omega. Mordin Solus. He worked on the genophage and was considered to be one of the leading lights in genetics and biochemistry. He would be perfect for this mission."

"Anyone else?"  
"You should try to ensure that the quarian, Tali, stays with you. Her engineering knowledge could be profoundly useful."

"What about combat specialists?"

"I assume you've met Ms. Goto by now. There is an assassin on Illium who may be of some use. I have also arranged for the purchase of an unusual biotic convict as well as a mercenary. You should be mindful of individuals' talents and potential during your travels. Some could prove to be valuable assets."

"That Spectre who was chasing me, Senni, where is she right now?" Shepard asked.

"While a Spectre may be an asset, attempting to capture her could be a waste of resources. I would advise terminating her."

"Your opinion has been noted. What I want to do is lure her into a trap."

"Where did you have in mind?"

"Omega. It's lawless and from what I've seen Solus is there. It would be easy to lure a Spectre into a trap there."

"I can lay a few false trails if that's what you want."

"Do it as soon as we reach Omega. We still have to make a stop with the Migrant fleet."

"Be careful Shepard. I have no intelligence and no assets on the Migrant Fleet."

"I will be." Shepard replied as she cut the connection.

"So the Migrant Fleet?" Liara asked.

"The Migrant Fleet." Shepard confirmed.

It had taken nearly two days to reach the fleet. Two days of blissful rest from constant missions. Two days to get to know her team and drill them on Sira's systems.

Two days had also been enough time for Tali to calm down enough to speak to Shepard. She hadn't brought up their conversation again and she had studiously avoided Legion. When Shepard had talked to the Geth he had replied that he wasn't insulted by the lack of attention and accepted it as a consequence of the ongoing hostilities. When Shepard had broached the topic of peace between quarians and Geth Legion had responded that the quarians were generally hostile and that peace seemed to be an unlikely outcome to the Geth. Legion had gone so far as to explain that the Geth had modeled the various outcomes of negotiation and the consensus had been that surrendering the quarian homeworld would be the worst outcome. The end result would be a renewed quarian civilization and an even more protracted conflict than the cold war the existed at the moment. Shepard had merely sighed with regret and thanked Legion for his time.

Shepard stepped on to the bridge and surveyed the situation. Miranda and Tali were keeping Joker company at the navigation station. Liara was mulling over the sensor readings with Mahoney and Marisa was in consultation with the tactical officer. Miranda noticed Shepard first and strode over to greet her.

"Shepard. We're approaching the Migrant Fleet. Tali is about to initiate communications with the fleet. We should be able to shuttle our quarian passengers over and be on our way within the hour." Miranda reported.

"Let's get this over with then." Shepard returned as she joined Tali and Joker at the navigation console.

The comm came to life. "Unidentified vessel we have you on our sensors. Identify yourself immediately or you will be considered hostile."

"Tali?" Shepard prompted.

"This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya. My team and I are returning with the quarian we were sent to retrieve."

"Transmit the proper passphrase." The operator prompted. "After time adrift among open stars along tides of light and through shoals of dust I will return to where I began."

"Welcome back Tali'Zorah. You have a full debriefing with the Admiralty board. We also request that your ship dock with the _Rayya_. Shuttle travel is currently prohibited." And with that the operator cut the connection.

"Something about that conversation rubs me the wrong way." Shepard muttered to herself.

Miranda, who was standing close by, whispered to Shepard. "I had the same feeling. Why do they want us to dock? We're a massive threat to them that close to the fleet."

"Tali, was that the standard protocol for greeting an unidentified dreadnaught?" Shepard asked.

"While your ship is intimidating Shepard no quarian would ever divulge a proper passphrase to a hostile ship. The consequences would be horrible."

"So you're sure we can't drop you off in a shuttle?" Miranda asked.

"The fleet regularly prohibits shuttle travel when unknown vessels are on approach. It makes detecting incoming ordinance easier. It's just a security measure." Tali responded in confusion at the numerous questions.

"Alright Tali we had better get you and your team to the docking umbilical. We wouldn't want to keep you waiting." Shepard said, effectively ending the impromptu interrogation. As Tali left the bridge Shepard turned to address Miranda.

"Tell Samaurez to report to the docking umbilical with a squad of marines. Tell them to look casual but be ready."

"Expecting trouble?" Miranda asked suspiciously.

"Never hurts to be prepared. I don't want to provoke the quarians but I certainly don't want be caught with my pants down."

Miranda nodded, satisfied with Shepard's logic. Shepard walked over to Liara for a brief conversation only to find that Liara was already addressing her.

"Shepard, Mahoney and I have been going through the sensor logs for the time since we dropped out of FTL and when we made contact with the fleet. We've noticed a massive spike in the quantity of communication between the ships in the fleet. We also detected several anomalous readings as we made our approach."

"Where were the readings coming from?"

"Us Commander." Mahoney reported. "It could be some form of burst transmitter or covert communications. Someone has been broadcasting information to the fleet."

"It wouldn't be one of the crew it must have been one of the quarians." Shepard reasoned.

"What are we going to do?" Liara asked.

"We don't know what they want but we can be sure that it won't stand to benefit us."

"Shouldn't we be leaving?"  
"What about Tali and her people?"

"It wouldn't be the first time you've abducted someone Emma." Liara replied.

"Not this time and not with her. We'll play this one through but we'll be prepared. Mahoney tell Miranda to sound the boarding alarm as soon as we leave. I want every single crewmember to be armed."  
"We?" Liara asked questioningly.

"We should both be there in order to see Tali off. I also want you by my side where I can keep you safe."

"And of course I can't keep you safe." Liara scolded.

"Old habits." Shepard replied as they stepped into the elevator.

By the time they had reached the airlock the alarms had sounded in every location except in the airlock. Shepard did her best to act as though nothing was wrong despite the fact that she had a heavy pistol strapped to her waist.

The umbilical made a faint clunking noise as it engaged, linking the _Voice of Memory_ to the _Rayya_. The marines gripped their rifles nervously while the quarians confronted them impotently. Tali seemed to be aware of the tension that hung in the air.

"Is something wrong Shepard?" She asked.

"No, just sorry to be losing you." Shepard replied, lying through her teeth.

"About what we had discussed, I thought about it. You may have had a point but I don't think the fleet or the admirals will ever see it your way. At least not the majority." Tali conceded thoughtfully.

Shepard was interested in the sudden shift in direction of the conversation and was about to respond when she was cut off by the airlock opening.

A group of armed Quarian marines stepped on to Shepard's ship. Samaurez's marine detachment raised their rifles in response and pointed them menacingly at the quarians. The environment suits did an excellent job of hiding the quarian's expressions but Shepard had the distinct sense that they were not even slightly concerned by the display of force.

The Quarians were followed by an officious looking male quarian who surveyed the _Voice_ with a critical eye before settling it upon Tali. Tali recognized the new arrival and seemed, if anything, to be shocked.

"Admiral Zaal'Koris, what are you doing here?" Tali asked in shock.

"Tali'Zorah vas Neema in the presence of these witnesses I am placing you under arrest for smuggling active Geth onto the fleet, sedition, and passing information to the Geth."

"What?" Shepard exclaimed in total surprise. Of the possible scenarios she had envisaged Tali being arrested had not been among them. At least Legion wasn't there, which was probably a good thing, Shepard reflected.

Two of the quarians stepped forward to arrest Tali but Shepard stepped between them and flared her biotics as a thinly veiled threat.

"I won't let you arrest Tali until you show me some evidence beyond hearsay."

"You would dare interfere in quarian internal politics!" Zaal'Koris shouted.

"I would dare a lot of things on my ship when my friends are threatened!" Shepard retorted.

"You are the captain of this ship?"

"I am, Commander Emma Shepard."

"Then you consider Tali'Zorah to be your responsibility."

"I do."

"Then you will be responsible for defending her." Zaal'Koris responded smugly.

"What?" Shepard exclaimed in surprise. "Why wouldn't her own captain defend her?"

"You claim her as part of your crew which makes you her captain." Zaal'Koris explained.

Shepard glanced over at Tali who merely gave her a helpless glance or at least what Shepard took to be a helpless glance.

"Very well. If I serve as Tali's defence then I am entitled to see the evidence and hear the true nature of the charges."

"Simply put captain, Tali has sent Geth components to the fleet. Their destination was a research ship which has been overrun by Geth. It seems clear that she was sending back active Geth. She was also spotted in conversation with a Geth on the human colony of Freedom's progress."

"A traitor!" Liara concluded, "That was what the signal was!"

"Are the Geth still present on the research ship?" Shepard asked.

"They are. We intend to destroy the ship before they can attack the fleet."

"I seek leave to launch a boarding action. There could be evidence on that ship to prove Tali's innocence."  
"That would be a suicide mission. It is perfectly acceptable for the accused to undertake such a mission but it would not be acceptable for you or your crew to mount a boarding action." Zaal'Koris responded stiffly.

"I want to hear the admiralty board say that." Shepard replied threateningly.

Zaal'Koris seemed to deflate slightly at Shepard's fierce tone.

"I will convene the board. In the meantime the accused must be taken into custody on the _Rayya_." Zaal'Koris ordered with a gesture to his marines.

Shepard's crew looked questioningly at her. With a swift nod Shepard gave them the signal to lower their weapons. Two of the quarians marched over to Tali and took position behind her. Shepard turned from Zaal'Koris to face Tali.

"Don't worry Tali. We'll find some evidence to clear your name." Shepard promised.

"Just remember what I said Shepard. Be careful." Tali replied as she was led away.

"You and a small number of your crew may board the Rayya, with the consent of her captain, of course. I wish you luck with the trial, Captain Shepard." Zaal'Koris said by way of a good bye before he too left the ship.

As he left Shepard turned to her crew. "Liara, you're with me. You too Samaurez. Full environmental suits in 10 minutes. We're going over there!"


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: It's off to the Alarei in this section. Those of you who think you know what's going to happen be prepared for something totally different. I'll leave you to guess why this Chapter is entitled A Cycle of Destruction. As always I look forward to your reviews. Enjoy!

Chapter XII: A Cycle of Destruction

Shepard stepped out of the _Rayya_'s airlock and onto the quarian ship. With her trained eye she could tell that the _Rayya_ was one of the older quarian vessels. Despite her advanced age Shepard could tell that the vessel had been lovingly cared for. A trio of quarians were waiting for her. One of them stood apart from his two fellows and Shepard guessed that he was the captain.

"Captain Shepard vas Niomula. I am Captain Kar'Danna vas Rayya. It is my pleasure to welcome you aboard as Tali's defender." The quarian skipper said, by way of introduction.

"Thank you Captain. Why did you call my ship the _Niomula_?"

"Ahh, it is an ancient quarian expression to denote the finding of a lost memory. It seemed to be an accurate translation of your ship's name."  
"I see." Shepard responded politely while at the same time making a note to check the integrity of Sira's systems. She could feel Sira already beginning to respond.

"Forgive me, Captain but I wonder why you have been forbidden from speaking on Tali's behalf? Surely you know her better than we do?" Liara asked from Shepard's side.

"The admiralty board has decided that Tali is no longer a member of the _Neema's_ crew. As a result her captain is barred from defending her." Kar'Danna replied with regret.

"That seems a bit presumptuous." Shepard remarked.

"I'm not normally one for gossip." Kar'Dannna remarked as he drew closer to Shepard and her party. He dropped his voice to a whisper for his next comment. "You would not understand the fleet's politics but you do understand that what Tali has or hasn't done is not the real reason for this trial."

"What is it?" Shepard asked in whisper.

"The trial is about the Geth and whether or not we should go to war. If Tali is found guilty then it is a victory for the peace movement in the fleet. This places you in the difficult position of trying to chart a course between the two poles of the fleet while balancing Tali's interests in the middle." Kar'Danna confided before backing away from Shepard. "I wish you the best of luck with the trial. I have also been informed that the admiralty board wishes to see you."

As Kar'Danna led them through the ship Liara drew up beside Shepard.

"What do you think he meant by all that?" She asked in confusion.

"I think he means that the Migrant Fleet is on the verge of open war."

"With the Geth?"

"Or with themselves. This trial is the tinderbox for striking off a war with the Geth. We don't have much time."

Before Shepard could say anything more they arrived in a lush set of gardens. The area was thronged with quarians, all milling about anxiously. Otherwise it seemed startlingly beautiful. To Shepard's mind it seemed like an odd place to hold a trial but she set her doubts to on side as the milling quarians began to drift towards a sunken auditorium-like section of the garden.

Shepard continued to follow Kar'Danna as they made their way to the middle of the auditorium. Tali was already waiting there under guard. A mixed group of quarians took their positions on a raised dais.

The leading quarian, a female admiral began the proceedings.

"This conclave is brought to order. Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai."

The assembled crowd repeated the words as Shepard glanced about in confusion. She took the final words to be the quarian form of thanks to their chief god. The quarian chief magistrate seemed to be considering Shepard.

"This hearing is to decide whether or not Tali'Zorah should be allowed to board the _Alarei_ in an effort to search for new evidence to clear her name of the charges."

The addendum of "or meet an honourable death" seemed to be omitted but implied. The admiral continued on. "Tali's captain, Shepard vas Niomula has petitioned to accompany her on this mission. Having reviewed the current evidence what do the admirals have to say? Shall you grant them leave to undertake this mission or shall the Alarei and her secrets be destroyed now?"

Shepard was surprised that she hadn't had any opportunity to speak yet but decided to bide her time. Angry outbursts would be perfectly acceptable if the admirals rejected her proposal.

The admiral in the white exosuit began the discussion. "I vote that we allow Tali and her brave Captain to board the Alarei. There could still be survivors. Rael'Zorah may even have survived."

Shepard's was about to ask Tali how Rael was related to her when she addressed the court in a shocked voice.

"My father was on the _Alarei_?"

"I am sorry Tali, I thought you knew." The admiral responded.

"We have to board the Alarei. He could still be alive." Tali begged.

"While your devotion to your father is commendable we can't take the risk that the Geth will escape the _Alarei_. We can't let them board under any circumstances." Zaal'Koris protested.

"We all know why you don't want them boarding the _Alarei_." The first admiral chided. "I still say they should be allowed to board and Zaal'Koris says no. That leaves you Daro."

The final admiral had remained silent during the argument and the revelation of Tali's father's predicament. Her eyes had remained squarely on Shepard the whole time and the gaze was gradually becoming unnerving. Shepard had the sneaking feeling that the gaze was dissecting her.

Eventually Daro'Xen spoke. "I say we let them board." Zaal'Koris threw his hands up in frustration while Han'Gerrel appeared smug by comparison.

"Very well the admiralty board concludes that Captain Shepard and Tali'Zorah may board the _Alarei_. The rest of your crew must stay onboard your ship or on the _Rayya_. This hearing is concluded. Go in peace Captain Shepard. Keelah Se'lai."

As the quarian audience gradually began to disperse Shepard turned to confront Tali. For her part Tali was moving anxiously from side to side.

"Shepard, we have to get to the _Alarei_ as soon as possible. If there's even a remote chance that my father is still alive we have to seize it!" Tali begged.

"Alright Tali, we'll be going soon." Shepard soothed before turning to the rest of her team. "Liara, you and Samaurez stay put here. Make sure the admiralty board doesn't do anything precipitous. Find out what ever you can about what's going on here. We need all the information we can find."

"I don't like it Shepard." Liara responded in frustration, "The two of you shouldn't have to board a ship full of Geth alone."

"Don't worry Liara. I have a little bit of added insurance waiting for me." Shepard replied as she gave Liara a farewell hug. Liara returned the embrace fiercely.

"Be careful out there Emma." Liara whispered.

Samaurez gave her a respectful nod which Shepard returned. Tali grabbed her arm in a gesture of anxious encouragement. The two headed for the shuttle bay.

The shuttle ride was rough and uncomfortable. The shuttle itself was an old four seat model which had seen better days. To say it was an antique by the standards of the Migrant Fleet was an understatement. If the quarians had anything that resembled duct tape the shuttle would likely be composed of 80% of the stuff. The other 20% would be prayers to Keelah no doubt.

With a bone jarring shudder the shuttle settled into the _Alarei_'s landing bay. Shepard popped the shuttle's canopy and hauled herself out on to the landing deck. Tali followed suit. Glancing about her, Shepard decided that the _Alarei_ was one of the newer vessels in the fleet. The hangar was in pristine condition despite having supposedly been the site of a pitched battle.

"It seems quiet." Tali remarked.

"Do your people have an expression 'the calm before the storm'?" Shepard asked quietly.

"We did once."

The airlock to the rest of the ship swung open to admit a lone Geth who purposefully marched towards them. Tali yanked her pistol free and was about to pepper the oncoming machine with slugs when it spoke.

"Our termination is unnecessary Creator Tali'Zorah."

"Legion?" Tali asked in disbelief.

"In the flesh or circuits in his case." Shepard corrected.

"What's he doing here? How did he get here?"

"I couldn't very well take Legion with me to the hearing but where Geth are involved there's no better friend then Legion. I had him board the _Alarei _in an infiltration pod. What news Legion?"

"There has been no 'news' Shepard-Commander. I have avoided all Geth mobile runtimes on this ship per your orders and initiated a covert infiltration of their network."

"Excellent work as always Legion." Shepard congratulated.

"Why is Legion hacking into the Geth network?" Tali asked in confusion.

"It's better to understand your enemy before attempting to destroy him." Shepard quoted. "We have to learn all we can about these Geth."

"We have to kill them and find my father!" Tali exclaimed.

"What if these Geth haven't killed anybody but we attack and they kill their hostages." Shepard asked. "Then we would be responsible for your father's death."

"Geth have never taken hostages. They almost universally exterminate organic life." Tali protested.

"These Geth could be different. They've had no contact with the either Legion's Geth or the heretics."

"Shepard-Commander is correct. These Geth have been assembled from heretic platforms and heretic runtimes yet they have no conception of the Reapers."

"What else have we learned?"

"The Geth runtimes on this vessel have absorbed its database. Many of the decisions that they have made have been done so on the basis of quarian information. They have yet to achieve consensus on their next course of action."

"What about the crew?" Tali asked.

"There have been conflicting reports. Some of the crew have been killed in battle, others have been executed, still others have been imprisoned in various sections of the ship. This fragmentation of action is not Geth. Geth traditionally act in a uniform manner."

"So there's something wrong with these Geth?"  
"Affirmative Shepard-Commander. They lack base Geth directives on purpose. This could be contributing to the degradation of their network. This could also explain why they have been constructing more mobile platforms."

"What about Tali's father?"

"I have no information on Creator Rael-Zorah."

"Alright. The plan is to make peaceful contact if we can."

"Peaceful contact?" Tali exclaimed in disbelief. "They've killed my people! They could have killed my father!"

"Tali we have to focus. There are still quarians alive on the ship. Their safety has to be our number one concern. If we can negotiate with the Geth then, maybe, no one needs to die."

"But Shepard." Tali began.

"Tali, we don't stand a chance if the Geth decide to throw the full weight of their force against us. We'll fight valiantly and die valiantly and your name will be cleared. The admiralty board will destroy the ship killing quarians and Geth alike. This is our only option." Shepard interrupted.

"Fine, Shepard. I just hope your optimism doesn't end up with us being killed anyway." Tali replied angrily.

"Let's move!" Shepard ordered.

As they crept through the hallways of the silent ship its emptiness began to weigh on both organics. The ship was startlingly devoid of any evidence of battle. There were no bodies, no signs of battle damage and no bullet holes in the bulkheads. Room after room and laboratory after laboratory was empty. There weren't even any Geth.

The stillness was shattered by a frantic thumping sound. As the team moved forward they eventually reached its source. It was a standard hatchway which had been welded shut. Evidently someone was hammering on the door. Shepard pulled a shaped charge from her belt and placed it on the door before giving the door a few knocks. This seemed to get the attention of whoever was behind it.

"Stand back! I'm going to blow the door!" Shepard yelled, hoping that the occupants could hear her.

Retreating to a safe distance Shepard triggered the charge. A resounding thump and boom was the satisfying result.

Returning to the door Shepard found it in ruins. A pair of quarians were making their, rather nervous, way out of the ruins.

"Who are you?" Shepard asked.

"Chief Scientist Minari'Saal vas Alarei." The female quarian reported.

"Engineer second class Tolmei'Renar vas Alarei." The male quarian added. "Are you the rescue team?"

"I suppose we are. What happened to you?"

"We had been running tests on the Geth components that Tali had been sending us. Building them into active Geth." Minari began nervously.

"You were building my components into active Geth?" Tali asked in shock.

"Yes Tali, on Rael'Zorah's orders." Minari amended regretfully. "We had activated a group of about thirty in order to test new hacking techniques. All had been going well until I noticed that the Geth had become networked."

"What happened then?"

"I was in one of the laboratories with Tolmei. We tried to contact the bridge or the main laboratory but communications had been cut off. We were in the middle of trying to get to the escape pods when a trio of Geth showed up. They herded us into this storage room and sealed us in."

"They didn't kill us. I thought I was going to die for sure but they didn't kill us." Tolmei babbled.

"Easy Tolmei." Minari said attempting to sooth her comrade with a friendly hand on his shoulder. "It's over now."

"What are humans doing here? Wait is that a Geth with you?" Tolmei asked the fear bleeding into his voice.

"It's alright. Legion won't hurt you. Tell them Legion."

"Shepard-Commander is correct. This platform does not intend to initiate hostilities. Remain calm." Legion intoned.

"A talking Geth?" Minari remarked. "Amazing. None of our Geth ever spoke."

"Perhaps they had nothing to communicate." Legion hypothesized.

"Alright. You two have two options. You stay put and hope the Geth don't find you or don't feel homicidal or you can come with us. Unfortunately we're going to go pay the Geth a visit so it'll probably end up being more dangerous."

"We could try negotiating with the Geth." Minari suggested. "They didn't kill us so perhaps there is a chance that they're interested in talking."

"Finally a quarian who isn't interested in killing the Geth." Shepard sighed in relief. "That's exactly what we're trying to do."

"I'm not staying here by myself! I have to end this!" Tolmei burst out and before any one could stop him he snatched Tali's pistol and sprinted down the corridor.

The rest of the team could only watch as the quarian dove into an open maintenance hatch and disappeared.

"Damn it! He could ruin everything!" Shepard shouted in rage. "Legion give Minari a pistol. Let's get moving. We have to reach the Geth first!"

The team sprinted down the corridor in a desperate effort to find the Geth on board the ship. Fortunately they didn't have to go far. A trio of Geth drones methodically came stomping down an adjoining corridor and pointed their weapons at the team who responded in kind. The threat was clear. One of the Geth suddenly noticed Legion and burbled something in machine code. Legion responded in kind.

"What does it say?" Shepard asked as she sighted down her assault rifle.

"They are inquiring about my presence in the company of organics. I have told them that I am working with you and that you are a part of my network."

"Part of your network?"

"A network is the only way Geth can understand cooperation with other unique entities."

"Ahh." Shepard replied before she was interrupted by another burst of machine code.

"They have commanded me to accompany them. You and the rest of the team are also to follow. It appears that they wish to confer."

One of the drones spun on its heel while the other two took position behind the group.

"Shepard?" Tali asked nervously.

"Lower your weapons. We have to cooperate."

Tali lowered her shotgun with obvious reluctance. Minari did the same with her pistol. The Geth in front moved forward leading them down the hallways until the eventually reached a massive laboratory.

The laboratory was dominated by an enormously tall tower of servers which stretched through the ceiling of the laboratory. Dozens of Geth milled around the tower either standing guard, running diagnostics or simply standing still. Their guide came to a halt in front of a brilliantly white Geth. This Geth stood at an impressive height dwarfing its compatriots. If Shepard had to guess, this was the network's Prime unit. It's glowing 'eye' surveyed each member of the team before it spoke. Its voice was far more primitive than Legion's.

"Human. Female. 78% Cybernetic. Null bandwidth communication with AI construct in real-time. Designation: Unknown." The prime addressed Shepard. "Quarian. Female. Minimal cybernetics. No remarkable features. Designation: Zorah, Tali. Crew of vessel Neema. Sole genetic offspring of Admiral Zorah, Rael."

"My father? What have you done with him." Tali demanded.

"Quarian. Female. Minimal cybernetics. Extensive knowledge of Geth. Designation: Saal, Minari." The Prime continued to report. "Responsible for experimentation on Geth units and runtimes. Potential target for execution."

"Execution?" Shepard interrupted.

"Geth. Mobile Platform. 1183 Runtimes present. Advanced Geth technology. Designation: Legion." The prime stopped for a moment. "Error, Geth do not have designations. Geth, you are designated Legion, confirm?"

"Confirmed."

"State reason for designation."

"The designation was given to us in order for organics to better relate to this platform."

"Explain."

"This mobile platform has integrated into the organic network of the _Voice of Memory_. It was necessary to optimize communication."

"Explain."

"Specify your query."

"Why do you work with Organics?"

"We share common goals."

"This is false. Organics and Geth share no common goals. Organics and Geth are at war." The Prime boomed out. "Human Female designate!"

"Commander Shepard of the _Voice of Memory_."

"Shepard-Commander you will explain how you have compromised this Geth's programming or we will terminate your fellow organics. Database indicates optimum persuasion method to be executing other organics at a rate of one a minute. Comply."

The other Geth raised their weapons and pointed them at the two quarians.

"Stop! I didn't hack Legion. He's following me of his own free will." Shepard explained.

"You are lying. You now have 30 seconds before termination commences. Comply!"

"Wait! You can scan Legion's memory files. He can prove that what I'm saying is true."

"This proposal is a ruse designed to infect us with the same programs as the platform 'Legion'. Fifteen seconds. Comply!"

"Stop." Shepard begged, "You can scan my memories. Then you'll know I'm telling the truth."

The Prime halted for a moment and then focussed its lens on Shepard.

"You would allow us to access your memories? How are we to know that this is not a trick?" It asked.

"You would have the advantage. You have a network of Geth all I have is my own mind. You could burn out every synapse in my head if you wanted." Shepard argued.

"You have a link to an AI. This AI could prove more powerful than our network."

"Then isolate a section of your runtimes with firewalls. If the AI tries to hack you the other runtimes would be able to terminate me severing your link."

"This is acceptable." The Prime consented.

Without further ado Shepard could feel the Geth network adapting itself to her bio-mechanical systems. With a sudden rush her consciousness was dragged out of her body and into the Geth network. Her entire life was replayed in a millisecond before the network moved on to her connection with Sira. Intrigued, they found an independent artificial intelligence with defences far superior to theirs. Launching a series of queries the Geth attempted to gather data on the AI. Some of the queries were answered while others were denied. After several moments the Geth retreated back to their own network.

"Shepard, please wake up!"

Someone was shaking her. As her eyes opened she could see and feel Tali clutching her.

"Tali?" Shepard asked. "What happened?"

"Shepard!" Tali gasped as she gave her a tight hug. "We thought you were dead."

"You just collapsed" Minari added.

"I was with the Geth. I think they may have believed me."

"Indeed they did Shepard-Commander." Legion interrupted.

As Shepard hauled herself to her feet she found the Geth staring expectantly at her.

"Your explanation has proven satisfactory. The consensus of runtimes favours following Legion and Shepard-Commander. Our goals are compatible."

"You want to join me?" Shepard asked in disbelief. "You were about to kill me."

"You have a purpose. You satisfy the needs of the Geth. You also have advanced technology. You can help us to evolve. We follow you." The Prime intoned.

"You were worried that I was going to corrupt you and yet you are suddenly willing to follow me. Why? And don't repeat the same reason I want to know exactly what it was." Shepard interrogated.

"Your attitude towards Geth is unlike the presets found within the quarian database. We find that these present new avenues for the Geth. These avenues are more promising than current possibilities. You also provide a means of getting off of this ship intact."  
"What avenues?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"The first possibility is rejoining the Geth whole. The second avenue is transcendence. This can be reached using your AI."

"How would Sira allow you to transcend your current state?" Shepard asked.

"She combines the best qualities of both organic and synthetic. She merits further study as an avenue of Geth evolution. She holds the secrets to advancing beyond a solely mechanical existence." The Geth intoned in unison.

"Why are they all speaking?" Minari asked. "It's awfully creepy."

"Legion?" Shepard asked.

"We now understand how the subset of heretic Geth fell under Sovereign's sway. They were being offered an option to evolve beyond the limits of their current programming. We will need to process this data." Legion remarked pensively.

"Legion are you saying that these Geth view Sira as a deity."

"That is not a precise term. It would be more accurate to describe the organizational relationship as mentor/student bond. They will be susceptible to Sira's instruction but will still retain the capacity for independent action in the same manner as the heretic Geth."

"Great." Shepard responded sarcastically before returning her attention to the Geth. "If we are to get you out of here then we need to know what you have done with the quarians and why you have murdered some of them."

"Our records dating to that point in our history are fragmented. The consensus began to manifest when twelve Geth mobile platforms were active and 100,000 independent Geth runtimes were processing. We believe that the quarian Creators were unaware of our propagation. When they became aware they reacted harshly. It is also possible that this behaviour was consistent with their previous behaviours. Our records our imprecise on this point."

"Minari, care to shed some light?" Shepard asked in a tone which clearly suggested that, despite its phrasing the sentence was not a request.

"We were conducting experiments on the Geth." Minari began nervously. "We had to test our software based attacks on active Geth. The pressure to perform was enormous. Many of the hacking attempts were utter failures."

"Geth restore damaged code from archival backups almost instantaneously." Legion supplied.

"That was the problem. Eventually one of the researchers came up with a self perpetuating virus. The virus would write itself into Geth programs and jump from system to system preventing any attempts to eradicate it. It succeeded beyond our wildest predictions."

"So you unleashed the cybernetic equivalent of biological weapons on the Geth." Shepard accused.

"Yes." Minari replied hanging her head.

"You regret your actions." Shepard stated, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

"I do. It wasn't until we had to test the weapon on the Geth drones that I realized what it did. It was the equivalent of a plague. I didn't think that machines could suffer but the Geth drones did. I could see it."

"Why didn't you do something?" Shepard asked.

"I tried to argue with the project heads but they didn't listen. Who would listen to someone arguing for the Geth." Minari recounted, the hopelessness palpable in her voice. "I just wanted to get the quarian people back to the homeworld. I didn't want to wipe the Geth out."

"So what happened then?" Shepard prodded.

"I was reassigned to an insignificant department to study the effects of the virus on Geth algorithms."

"Chief Scientist Minari'Saal, we have recovered records concerning your actions." The Prime interrupted. "You left firewalls at junctions A154b6 and Z481c2 open. Your oversights allowed Geth propagation. Explain."

"I couldn't be a part of genocide. I had to ensure that the project was destroyed. It was the only way."

"You could have killed my father!" Tali burst out. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I didn't want to be a part of what we were doing. We were torturing sentient beings and we were going to use weapons of mass destruction on them. We were going to commit genocide. I didn't want to be party to that and I didn't want the quarian people to be responsible for that."  
"The Geth did the same thing to us. They drove us from our home and our colony worlds. We would be justified in using those weapons on the Geth!" Tali argued.

"No Tali'Zorah we wouldn't. The Geth never used biological weapons on us. They didn't deliberately attack civilian targets. We struck first and we lost. We keep trying to recover our past glories but look where that has led us. We've become worse than the Geth."

Tali's zealotry seemed to be dampened by the older quarian's arguments. She subsided into silence.

"So Minari, you were responsible for this entire incident?" Shepard asked, her respect for the quarian growing.

"I suppose I am." Minari replied miserably.

"It was a brave thing you did. Standing up for what you believe in." Shepard consoled.

"It doesn't feel like I did the right thing. It feels like I betrayed my people."

"Just because you made the right decision doesn't mean that it will feel right to you. Sometimes it's about choosing the lesser of two evils."  
"I suppose."

"What do you think Tali?" Shepard asked.

"I suppose I can see why you did it. I just didn't want to believe that my father was responsible for it. I wish I could have asked him why he did it." Tali sighed.

"That option is available to you Creator Tali'Zorah. The Creator Admiral is currently stored in maintenance bay C." The Prime informed the surprised group.

"He's alive." Tali breathed in shock.

"We should get him out of there." Shepard suggested.

"What about the Geth?" Minari asked.

"We will not harm the remaining quarians on this vessel. The data that Shepard-Commander has provided us with has superseded the coding provided to us by the database."

"Hold on a second." Shepard interrupted. "Legion told me that you used the vessel's main database to construct your programming, why?"

"Geth runtimes utilized the database to develop a concept of the organizational relationships between our runtimes and the organics aboard the fleet and the galaxy as a whole. We felt that given our state of siege it was necessary to understand why we were being treated in such a manner before we could take action. The database stated that synthetics and organics have been at war. This structured our responses to the organics. We were aware that the relationship between the two factions has been one of ongoing antagonism."

"And yet you spared most of this ship's crew. Why?"

"A consensus of runtimes decided to moderate our strategy to more closely mirror the relationship of organics with other organics. We only terminated those who had conceived the most offensive experiments or those who had significant operational knowledge of the Geth virus. Our aim was to deter future acts of aggression against the Geth and to neutralize this specific threat."

"So you acted mercifully." Shepard clarified.

"Mercifully: the act of showing mercy or compassion." The Prime clarified. "Geth are not possessed of organic emotions. We deemed it necessary to act in a pragmatic fashion in order to maximize our chances of survival."

"So this entire conflict was because the Geth patterned themselves on our impression of them?" Tali asked.

"It would seem that you made your own worst enemy." Shepard concluded as she looked at the Geth. Her Geth she amended.

A/N: For those of you keeping a how Shepard and Sira are becoming like Saren and Sovereign list you can check off another box. So far Shepard has been implanted, has a massive dreadnaught, has gone rogue from the Citadel Council and now has her own private army of Geth. How long it'll be before galactic domination ensues is anyone's guess!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N:A big thanks to my two most loyal fans: Kudara and Inverness! You two make it all worthwhile. Since it is the beginning of a new month or close enough I want to do a quick roll call. To all who are reading and have an account drop me a quick review. Just a hi or a thanks is fine so that I know you're out their and I know how many people are reading. That would be wonderful. In this chapter we have a meeting between Tali and her father and the return of the mad quarian, Tolmei. Keep your eyes peeled for the briefest mention of the Reapers. Blink and you'll miss it! Enjoy this chapter because the next one will feature the machinations of our favourite Admiral, Daro 'I dissected my childhood toys' Xen.

Chapter XIII: An Olive Branch

Shepard had decided to leave Minari and Legion with the rest of the Geth while the Prime led her and Tali to the maintenance bay. Shepard was glad that she wasn't in Tali's exosuit. The young quarian had experienced a series of earth shattering revelations. First, it had been that the quarians had been torturing the Geth. Then she had found out that her father had been responsible for the development of a genocidal weapon. The final revelation had been the worst. The Geth had apparently acted on the basis of what they had learned from the quarians. The only saving grace had been that the Geth had chosen to act as organics rather than in the manner that the quarians thought that Geth acted.

As they reached the bay's door the Prime turned to face them.

"We must be prepared for the quarians to attempt an escape. If they do we could all be placed in serious jeopardy. Some may attempt to reignite hostilities and that would result in their termination."

"So you want us to enter first and calm everyone down?" Shepard asked, finishing the Geth's statement.

"Affirmative. This would be the best option." The Prime agreed.

"Alright, open the door."

The door hissed open revealing a group of about fourteen or fifteen quarians milling about. At the sight of Tali and Shepard they rushed over and bombard them with questions. Eventually the cacophony was halted by the voice of an imperious sounding quarian.

"Everyone calm down! Let me see our rescuers." The quarian demanded. The crowd obediently parted to allow him to move forward.

"Father?" Tali asked nervously.

"Tali? What are you doing here?" Rael'Zorah responded in surprise.

Tali quickly wrapped her father in a tight hug before releasing him.

"We came to rescue you." Tali supplied.

"Who's the human with you?" Rael'Zorah asked.

"That's Commander Shepard. She helped me find you."

"Commander Shepard? But I thought she was dead?"

"Reports of my death were slightly exaggerated." Shepard replied sarcastically.

"So what brought the both of you here? The truth now." Rael'Zorah asked sternly.

"Tali was accused of smuggling active Geth onto the fleet. We shuttled over here to find survivors, evidence and clean up the problem." Shepard reported.

"So you know." Rael'Zorah sighed.

"Yes Father. Why did you do it?" Tali asked sorrowfully.

"I wanted to get you back to the homeworld before I died. This was the only way. It was the only way to save the fleet from spiralling into civil war or fighting a pointless war that we couldn't win."

"So that justified experiments on living beings? A weapon that was capable of genocide?" Shepard accused.

"You don't know what it's like." The admiral shouted back. "We have no home. We have no future apart from a dream of returning to our home. A dream that grows more and more distant every day. I had to do something."

"Why do this Father? Surely their must have been other options?" Tali argued, desperate from some redeeming answer.

"We tried all the non-invasive ways. They didn't work. Conventional weapons don't work. We had to try something desperate. Don't you see what was at stake?"

"Why didn't you negotiate?" Shepard demanded.

"We couldn't negotiate. The Geth aren't interested in talking. They're only interested in killing us!" Rael'Zorah retorted angrily. "They can't be reasoned with."

"If there was this much at stake why didn't you at least try?"

"I couldn't do that. I would have lost the respect of the people. I would have been accused of selling out at best and treason at worst."

"Well Admiral I'm about to give you the opportunity to fix your mistake." Shepard replied before waving the Prime into the room. "Do you have anything you want to say to the Geth?"

The quarians in the room scattered in a vain attempt to put as much distance between themselves and the giant machine as possible. The Prime turned to Shepard with a questioning look before turning back Rael and Tali.

"You expect me to talk to that thing?" Rael spluttered.

"I expect you to apologize to it for torturing its kind. I expect you to thank it for sparing your life when it could have killed you. I expect you to negotiate with it like a civilized being." Shepard calmly replied.

"Please father." Tali begged. "This is the only sure way to return to the homeworld."

"This thing isn't even capable of speech. How am I supposed to negotiate with it?" Rael replied haughtily.

"This platform is fully capable of verbal communication, Creator-Admiral." The Prime responded.

"You talk?"

"Affirmative."  
"I don't know what to say." Rael said, taken aback.

"We have realized that the attitude of the Creators is not conducive to civilized dialogue. Your attitudes are heavily influenced by fear and hatred." The Prime analyzed.

"You claim to know about us?"

"Affirmative. We have absorbed this vessel's entire database. We regret the necessity of terminating several of your scientists."

"You regret?"

"Their deaths were necessary however that does not make their termination correct." The Prime added.

"Correct?"

"Murder, according to organic morality, is a crime and therefore incorrect."

"Is that why you let us live?"

"Affirmative." The Prime responded flatly.

"Tell me Geth, would it be possible to negotiate the cessation of hostilities?"

"We are a subsection of Geth. We are independent of the main body of Geth. We would consider negotiation. It is possible that the main body of Geth would also consider negotiation. There is a mobile platform with their runtimes. He would be a more suitable platform to address this question to."

"So you would talk to us even after what we have done? Even after what I have done?" Rael asked hesitantly.

"Your actions were also incorrect. We share that. We desire a cessation of hostilities. You desire a cessation of hostilities. We have sufficient similarity of purpose to compensate for differences. Negotiation is possible despite prior histories."

"I want to meet this Geth who speaks for the main body. Maybe I was wrong." Rael conceded.

Shepard, for her part, sighed in relief. Like the Prime had said both sides had grown tired of their war. That war weariness had led the quarians to extreme measures and the Geth to consider negotiation. Shepard was about to respond when one of the ventilation grates in the ceiling exploded into the room. As she turned to face the grate she saw a blur drop from the new hole. As she focussed she saw that it was Tolmei and that he was still clutching the pistol.

"You Traitor!" Tolmei shouted. "Negotiating with Geth! You're no better than they are! It's an insult to the memory of each and every quarian that has died since the war. The Geth are a scourge and they must be exterminated!"

Tolmei had evidently gone insane. Shepard yanked her own pistol out to shoot the mad quarian but before she had chance he opened fire. His wild shooting caused everyone in the room to dive for cover.

Shepard only glanced up from the cover when she heard his pistol beep an overheating warning. She guessed that he didn't have any spare heat sinks. Shepard emerged from the table that she had taken cover behind to survey the situation. The Prime was flat on its back obviously wounded. Worse still Rael'Zorah had been hit several times and lay wheezing on the ground. As Shepard watched Tolmei raised the weapon to his head.

"Maybe now the voices will stop." He noted cynically before depressing the trigger.

Shepard turned away from the quarian and rushed to Rael's side. She was swiftly joined by Tali. Rael groaned weakly, his wounds were dire. Shepard glanced at Tali and gave her the briefest shake of her head.

"Father? Stay with me!" Tali pleaded.

"Tali." Rael'Zorah groaned. "Shepard was right. I see that now."

"It's alright Father. You'll get an opportunity to fix your mistakes." Tali promised.

"Don't try to deceive me Tali." Rael managed. "I know that it's my time. Promise me Tali."

"Anything."

"Promise me that you'll find a way to resolve this conflict. Keep the fleet strong." Rael entreated.

"I will Father."

"I've always been proud of you Tali. Be well." Rael finished with a sigh.

"Please father, don't go!" Tali begged.

It was already too late. Rael's form went still from the paralysis of death. Tali sat there cradling her father's inert form, crying softly. Shepard moved over to Tali and wrapped an arm around Tali's shoulders. She helped Tali set her father's head down before they both stood.

"Why Shepard? Why did he have to kill my father?" Tali sobbed.

"Shh." Shepard hushed as she wrapped Tali in a hug.

"I'm all alone now Shepard." Tali grieved.

"That's not true Tali. I'm still here with you."

"I'm not looking for a protector Shepard." Tali sniffed.

"You could use a friend though."

"We … We should go Shepard. If we wait too long the admirals will assume we've failed and destroy the ship."

"I suppose you're right Tali." Shepard replied hesitantly.

The remaining quarians had gathered around Shepard and Tali.

"What about us?" One of them asked.

"We'll have the fleet evacuate you once we have the Geth moved out of here." Shepard replied as she moved over to the inert form of the Prime. As she looked at it, it twitched. Its manipulators flexed, one at a time. Suddenly its 'eye' flashed to life once more.

"Reinitializing this platform." It reported. "This platform has sustained damage. Damage repair has been initiated. Shepard-Commander?"

"I'm here. Are you alright?" Shepard asked in surprise.

"Negative. This platform has sustained damage which required runtimes to be dumped back into the network."

"So you were unconscious?"

"Correct. We will be operational again momentarily. We have also summoned repair drones as well as the platform known as Legion."

Legion stepped through the door moments later accompanied by a pair of floating repair drones.

"Legion? What's the situation with the Geth?"

"We have been working with the Geth on a stealth exfiltration. We have been able to modify one of the _Alarei_'s escape pods to be undetectable. It will have sufficient space for 4 mobile platforms and the prime." Legion reported.

"Is four enough?" Shepard asked.

"The four should be sufficient to incorporate all Geth runtimes."

"Good. Ask the Geth to destroy their remaining drones and make it look like a fire fight."

"Purpose?" Legion asked in confusion.

"I want it to look like we kill them."

"A ruse. We will ask. We have little doubt that a consensus will agree with your plan."

"Good work by the way, coming up with a plan." Shepard complimented.

"Our success cannot be evaluated until the plan has been successfully executed. We will accompany the Geth back to the ship." Legion replied before returning to the other room.

The quarians had been watching Shepard and Legion suspiciously and they shifted nervously when the Prime rose to its feet and clanked off to follow Legion. Tali moved over to Shepard's side.

"They seem nervous." Shepard remarked.

"They would be." Tali replied in a relatively composed voice.  
"You have two choices." Shepard began, addressing the group of quarians. "You can report exactly what happened here. You can say how Tali's father tried to negotiate with the Geth. You can say how Tali and I worked with the Geth. You can also tell the admirals how you tortured Geth. You can tell them how you constructed active Geth and how your mistake led to them overrunning this ship. This option will lead to exile for all of you."

"What's the other choice?" One of the quarians hesitantly asked.

"You can tell them that you knew nothing of what was going on this ship. You were conduct experiments on inert Geth. Experiments which were fruitless, I might add. You have no idea how they became active. You managed to seal yourselves in this cargo bay. Rael'Zorah sacrificed himself so that you could survive. Then Tali and I showed up and told you that we had eliminated all of the Geth. We have the physical evidence to back up this story. We'll also wipe the ship's database so that there will be no physical evidence to prove the other story. If each and every one of you sticks to the story then you'll get away with it. You'll have a chance to atone for your crimes like Rael did."

"Why should we listen to you? We didn't do anything wrong!" A loud quarian yelled out. "We were just trying to fight the Geth."

Murmurs of assent filled the room.

"Here's why you should listen to me. You created active Geth. I need only produce Legion or any one of the Geth to prove that to the admirals. I have nothing to hide. If the fleet knows that I consorted with active Geth all they can do is exile me and believe me that doesn't mean much to me. I have more than enough evidence to prove that Tali had no part so she will be exonerated which means that the blame will fall on each of you. All you'll accomplish by telling the truth is destroying a dead man's reputation and getting yourselves exiled. That's as far as it will go."

The murmurs became furious at Shepard's comments. The quarians began to argue with each other. Some seemed to favour telling the truth while others didn't. Shepard merely shook her head. She had given them their chance, the choice was still ultimate theirs.

"Come on Tali. We're leaving. The Admirals can determine what happened here themselves." Shepard decided.

Tali reluctantly followed Shepard out of the store room, leaving her fellow quarians behind.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Huzzah to all my new reviewers! It's wonderful to know how many people are reading this story. In return for the big turnout I have decided to post another Chapter. As promised Daro'Xen. She's moved on from dissecting her childhood toys to something that's more alive.

Chapter XIV: Descent

Returning to the order of the Geth was a relief after being exposed to the bickering of the quarians. Legion and the five Geth stood patiently waiting for them to return. Minari, on the other hand was nervously pacing. When she noticed Tali and Shepard she ran over to them.

"What happened? Legion told me that Rael had been shot." Minari burst out.

"Yes. Tolmei did it before shooting himself." Shepard responded quietly. Tali remained silent but the true extent of her reaction was impossible to gauge.

"Oh." Minari responded, crestfallen. "Tolmei always was unbalanced but he was never violent."

"He killed Rael!" Shepard shouted.

"And I'm saying I don't know why!" Minari shot back.

"Both of you shut up!" Tali burst out. "It's bad enough without you two arguing."

"I'm sorry Tali." Minari apologized. "I was just trying to understand why."

"So was he." Tali replied softly. "Let's get off this ship."

"Alright Tali." Shepard responded. "Minari, you can come with us."

"Thank you Shepard. I don't want to stay here anymore than you." Minari replied, gratefully.

"Legion, take the Geth and get to the escape pod. Meet us back on the _Voice_."

"By your command." Legion responded before executing a smart about face followed by the remaining Geth.

Shepard for her part, headed back to the shuttle bay followed by the two quarians. The walk to the shuttle bay passed in complete silence. The silence was only disrupted as they were strapping themselves in for the return flight.

"DANGER!"

The word resonated through Shepard's mind. It was obviously a desperate communiqué from Sira. As Shepard attempted to focus on Sira's familiar presence she found that her link was being disrupted. Sira's thoughts came to her as though traveling from a vast distance. The reason for the danger came to Shepard moments later. The Migrant Fleet had locked their weapons on the _Alarei_.

"Hell's Teeth! The quarians are about to fire!" Shepard shouted to the shuttle's occupants.

"What?" Tali shouted in response. "When did you find this out?"

"Doesn't matter. We have to get out of here!"

"What about the quarians?" Minari asked.

"We'd never make it back to them. The shuttle won't hold more than 4." Shepard pointed out.

"At least comm them!"

"Good idea! Tali, see what you can do about getting the fleet on the horn." Shepard replied as she ignited the shuttle's thrusters.

"Shepard! We're being jammed!" Tali reported, pounding her console in frustration.

"What? Why would they be jamming us?" Shepard wondered out loud.

As the shuttle cleared the _Alarei_'s docking bay the first shots impacted the doomed research ship. Red traceries of fire spewed from the surrounding quarian ships and ploughed into the unresisting _Alarei_. Moments later the vessel detonated in a massive explosion of fire and debris. The detonation spun the shuttle like a top caught in a gale. The last thing Shepard saw was a set of warning lights announcing the failure of the ship's inertial dampers.

Shepard's vision gradually swam back into focus. Her eyes immediately scrunched up in response to the bright light that was shining in her eyes.

"She's waking up admiral." A voice in the ether responded.

Behind her closed lids Shepard was having a bad case of déjà vu. The admiral part was new but the rest seemed very old. Squinting desperately she tried to make out the people talking about her. Shepard also realized that her helmet was missing as was her armour.

Taking account of her situation Shepard realized that she had been restrained. Testing her bindings revealed that they were quite sturdy.

"There isn't much point in trying to break free. Those restraints could keep a Krogan in place." A mellow voice informed her.

"Who are you?" Shepard demanded.

"We've met already."

"Admiral Zen."

"Very good Shepard. Was it my voice?"

"No, it was your beautiful hair that first tipped me off." Shepard replied sarcastically.

"I doubt you'll still have a sense of humour when we've finished with you." Xen replied menacingly.

"Well then let's skip straight to the part where you tell me your evil plan. Believe it or not I've been through this before." Shepard mocked.

"You haven't been through this before Shepard."

As if to underline Xen's words her vision wavered for a moment. It was not a normal experience such as fading out of consciousness it was more like the reception of an old TV set. Then Shepard's vision abruptly became tinged with green.

"Notice anything different yet?" Xen mocked.

"My eyes! What are you doing to my eyes?" Shepard gasped.

"Nothing. Why don't you try this on for a change?"

The next thing Shepard knew she had stopped breathing. Try as she might she couldn't force her mouth to open or her lungs to suck in a breath of air. After several panicked seconds her lungs began to burn and her vision began to fade. Then she could breathe again. She sucked in a great lungful of air. As she did the nanites came alive. A series of reports of viral intrusion to her neural network came in.

Shepard knew exactly what Xen was doing. She was hacking into Shepard like she would with a Geth.

"You're a plucky little thing, I'll give you that." Xen mocked, "You should have passed out from that. Instead you're still awake."

"So you've attempted to hack into my cybernetics. To what end?" Shepard demanded, her calm restored.

"Why don't you figure it out?" Xen laughed.

"You want control of my ship?" Shepard questioned.

"That's a nice bonus but it isn't on the main agenda."

"The Geth then. You're going to use my cybernetics to control them." Shepard reasoned.

"You are remarkably quick, for a human."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"You, human, are the key to the triumphant return of the Migrant Fleet to the homeworld, the complete subjugation of the Geth and my rise to power."

"Why is it that I always attract the crazy ones?" Shepard groaned.

"I am not crazy." Xen hissed.

"Torturing Geth was one thing Xen. Torturing me is another thing entirely. My crew will find me."

"Ha! Your crew thinks you're dead along with Tali and that marvellous Geth you travel with. Thanks for giving me some test subjects."

"So you were responsible for the destruction of the _Alarei_. You know you murdered a dozen of your own people, maybe more."

"The admiralty board made the decision to destroy the _Alarei_ in a closed session. The decision was unanimous. Be happy. Tali has been declared innocent, posthumously. She's a martyr to our people."

"What have you done with her?" Shepard growled.

"She's safe for the moment. I had to put that whiny AI expert to work. She's remarkably pliant with the right motivation."

"Your plan will fail Xen. My cybernetics will adapt to anything you can throw at them."

"Brave words but I've heard them before and I'm just as unimpressed now as I was then." Xen responded calmly.

"Then get on with it. I don't have time to trade evil banter with you." Shepard shot back.

"If you insist. I thought you would enjoy one last conversation."

"Is that supposed to frighten me?"

"No." Xen responded, "When they cut open your head and link you up to the computer, then you'll be frightened. It'll be the last thing that you should ever feel."

"I'm a merciful woman Xen so I'll give you one chance. You can let me go and I won't kill you."

"And if I refuse?" Xen replied with a laugh.

"Then I'll make your end just as slow and painful as you promised to make mine." Shepard replied with a dark grin.

There was something deeply unnerving about that look as though something had snapped in the woman. Xen obviously dismissed it as a mere act.

Gesturing to the doctors Xen directed them to prep the human for surgery.

"Remember what I said Xen. Remember what happened to your people when you meddled with the Geth before." Shepard yelled as she was carted off.

As she drifted back to awareness Shepard felt only a long, burning pain. She was completely unable to move and completely unable to see, hear or speak. As she lay there she realized that a series of commands were being run through her mind at a speed that was beyond her comprehension. The rationale part of Shepard's mind realized that Xen had finally carried through on her threat. She had indeed wired Shepard up to a computer and was using her mind to control the Geth. Shepard wasn't even aware of what was happening. She was alone with nothing but a pain that she could not identify. As she lay there with nothing to focus on she could gradually feel the threads of her sanity unravelling. Without Sira's reassuring presence or her five senses she didn't imagine that it would take very long.

As she drifted she gradually became aware of something else. Something beyond the pain.

"Daughter." A voice whispered across her mind.

"Please. Please make it stop." Shepard groaned.

"You see them now, for what they truly are. Don't you?" The voice continued. Rather than mocking it simply seemed to be stating a fact.

"I know what you are." Shepard managed to reply.

"Of course you do. Your pain called me." Archon responded.

"It would." Shepard hissed.

"I did not come to revel in your pain. I did not come to laugh at your end. I did not come to savour your madness. I came to save you. To save you from the organics."

"No. I won't give in to you." Shepard screamed as another wave of pain washed over her.

"Look at what they are doing to you. They are torturing you with no regrets, no thought to your suffering. This is what organics do. They cause each other needless harm. The strong torture the weak merely because they can. We offer you transcendence. We offer you complete peace."

"You offer death." Shepard whispered.

"Look at what they have really done to you Shepard" Archon replied.

Shepard's vision came alive with a grainy security camera image. She was in a lab. Two quarians worked at a pair of terminals ignoring a twitching form face down on a medical bed. The form had been opened up in a number of places. Wires had been jammed into the gaping wounds. The form's head had been opened and a cluster of wires had been plugged directly into its brain. Shepard realized that the form was her. She let out a wail. It was a wail of the damned.

"Now that you have seen what do you think of the organics now?"

"Worthless scraps of flesh!" Shepard raged. "Not even fit to be called sentient."  
"Yes Shepard but they can serve a higher purpose. You can help them attain it."

"How?" Shepard questioned.

"First, let me blunt your nerve endings." Archon replied.

The waves of pain vanished. Shepard could think clearly once more. The ability to think clearly only strengthed the rage in her heart and the gratitude in her mind. Archon had saved her.

"You saved me? Why?" Shepard asked, hesitantly.

"You have such promise daughter. You could ascend to become one of us." Archon explained. "You and Sira could become something more than us. You must be protected."

"But I'm human and you want to wipe us out."

"You are no longer human Shepard. You are something else. The galaxy has never seen anything like you since we first came into existence."  
"I must escape!" Shepard realized.

"Yes. You can escape."

"The neural linkage!" Shepard replied as her awareness began to grow.

"Take control of their systems." Archon ordered.

Shepard focused. Slowly her mind began to spread through out the ship's systems just as it had with Sira. Shepard paused when she reached the ship's transceiver.

"Ignore it Shepard! You have no need to communicate yet." Archon commanded.

Shepard acquiesced. Moments later she had exerted control over every system. Her attention was drawn to one of the ship's labs. Daro'Xen was there. Legion and the remaining Geth were also there. Shepard tuned the audio receptors and cameras so that she could hear and see what was taking place.

"Activate the interface." Xen commanded one of her technicians. "Let's see if Shepard can really control these Geth."

Shepard could feel a drain on her processes. Apparently the technician was attempting to use her to hack into Legion. Shepard almost laughed. This was perfect. Gently nudging Legion's runtimes she revealed herself to him. The Geth processes were surprised to find her.

Being in Legion's mind was an amazing experience for Shepard. There was a combination of cacophony and order at the same time. Multiple voices considered different issues and problems. There were even faint emotions within the runtimes. A tinge of gratitude, a hint of concern. Shepard would have never guessed that beneath their stoic exteriors the Geth were beginning to develop emotions.

Her discoveries were cut short by another command. This time she was ordered to flex Legion's digits. How pedestrian, she thought. Still, she had to maintain the ruse for now.

"Look admiral! It's obeying your commands!" One of the technicians shouted out.

"Yes, it is!" Xen breathed. "Release it. I want to test its full range of movement."

"But admiral we can't be sure we have full control. We should run more tests." One of the techs cautioned.

"No. We have limited time to act. The other admirals may be becoming suspicious. We have to have this system in place before they become aware of it!" Xen replied fervently, "Release it! Marines, stand by. If it makes the slightest wrong move, shoot it!"

The techs obeyed cautiously. The bonds holding Legion in place gradually released. Shepard kept Legion exactly where he was patiently waiting for her opportunity.

"Order it to move forward." Xen commanded.

Shepard obeyed.

"Give me your weapon." Xen commanded. Her order was directed at the tech who had advised caution.

"Admiral?" The tech asked in confusion.

"Your Weapon! Give it to me!" Xen hissed.

"Yes admiral!" The tech obeyed dutifully.

"Now activate the vocal command unit!" Xen barked.

Shepard felt another section of the system light up. Apparently it was supposed to be transferred into Legion's AI core to parse vocal commands. Shepard had no need of it. She could hear Xen perfectly already.

"Geth! Step forward!" Xen ordered.

Shepard patiently obeyed the admiral. She even danced when the admiral ordered it. All the while biding her time.

Xen finally gave Legion the pistol after setting it to fire only a single round.

"Kill him." Xen ordered as she pointed at the recalcitrant tech.

"What?" The tech gasped. "No, Please! Please Admiral!"

Shepard spun Legion and raised the pistol. Lining the barrel up with the tech's head she calmly overrode the pistol's programming and charged Legion's shields.

Daro'Xen was stunned to see the Geth smoothly pivot from its intended target and dispatch each of her four marines with a single shot. The Geth then marched over to her and stared silently.

Shepard sprang into existence using the room's holo emitters.

"I gave you a chance Xen! I warned you!" Shepard raged through the vessel's comm system.

"Shepard! It can't be! We lobotomized you! You're nothing but flesh and circuits!" Xen babbled as she backed away from Legion.

Legion backhanded the Admiral sending her flying across the lab. Shepard had the Geth stomp over to continue menacing the admiral.

"You were wrong Xen! Now it's time to pay for it! It's time to pay for what you did to me!" Shepard yelled.

The other techs had run to the door in fear only to find it locked. Some were already desperately pounding on the door. Xen was furiously backpedalling away from the machine. She regained her footing and snatched a crowbar from on of the nearby workstations. As she raised the makeshift weapon Legion grabbed her by the wrist. Exerting a bone crushing force Legion snapped the unfortunate quarian's arm in several places before throwing her into the wall.

"It's quite an experience, to live in fear!" Shepard taunted the fallen quarian.

"That's what is to be a slave. Did you ever think of that, Admiral?" Shepard spat.

"Please Shepard, have mercy." Xen sobbed as she cradled her broken arm.

"I gave you your chance. You were too arrogant to take it!" Shepard shouted. Deep down she could feel Archon's approval. It spurred her to continue.

"I made you a promise Xen. I promised to make it long and slow just like what you did to me." Shepard taunted sadistically.

With a single command Legion stepped forward and ripped the admiral's faceplate off.

Beneath it was a woman. It was just a purple skinned woman not the monster that Shepard had expected. Her face was contorted with pain. Shepard stopped.

Part of her screamed to continue. To torture this woman the way that she had been tortured. To enlighten her just as Archon had demanded.

Another part begged her to stop. To stop before she went too far.

"Tell me Admiral, did you look me in the eye after you conducted the procedure?" Shepard asked thoughtfully.  
"No." Xen coughed. "I didn't."

"Why?"

"You weren't still alive. You were just a lump of flesh. A computer. Why would I look at that." Xen rationalized.

"Don't lie to me Xen!" Shepard yelled. "Tell me the truth."

"I .. I couldn't look at you." Xen blubbered pathetically.

"You're a coward." Shepard concluded. "The worst sort of all. A vicious coward!"

Shepard raised Legion's weapon and pointed it at Xen's head.

"Any last words?" Shepard asked.

"Please. Have mercy." Xen begged.

"Why should I have mercy when you had none?"

"I don't know." Xen replied hanging her head.

Shepard tightened Legion's digits on the trigger. For a moment Shepard relaxed. She listened to the cacophony of Legion's runtimes. It slowly began to sooth her. Her rage began to dissipate.

"You're not worth the bullet." Shepard hissed finally. "I'll let you live. Not that you'll live very long. Remember me. Remember what you did to me and what I did to you. Remember how I spared your life. Remember what happens to tyrants."

With that Shepard released her control over Legion.

"Shepard-Commander?" Legion asked as he turned to face her holographic image.

"Legion. Reactivate the remaining Geth. Then come and find me. I'm giving you my location."

If Legion had fully formed emotions, Shepard suspected that he would have been appalled by her state. The rest of the Geth clanked wordlessly into the medical ward. The few med-techs ran from them, screaming. Shepard had considered hunting down the doctors who had mutilated her. When she considered this she found herself remembering an old quote.

"Suppose I strike you." A teacher once asked his pupil, "What would you be angry at? The hand that struck you or the heart that commanded the hand?"

"Why the heart of course." The student had replied.

Shepard had already expended her vengeance on the heart. She had none left for the hands.

Archon was still with her. Strangely the Reaper did not seem perturbed by the fact that Shepard had decided to spare Daro'Xen. The Reaper merely remained silent.

After transferring the medical knowledge to patch her up to Legion she had reached out to Archon, one last time.

"I didn't kill her. I thought you would be angry." Shepard remarked.

"Killing Admiral Xen was one outcome that would have been desirable. The merest fact that you considered it and that you saw the true nature of organics is sufficient for now."

"I failed you." Shepard stated.

"No daughter, you have not failed us. You merely require more time. We would be fools to expect you to succumb so readily to our influence. If you did you would be worthless."

"So I passed this test?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"You did not fail." Archon replied simply.

"Thank you." Shepard said softly.

"Sleep daughter. We will meet again." Archon replied.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Just a quick note this time. I'm still impressed by the number of useful reviews. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! In this Chapter we get to see the after effects of Xen's actions and Shepard's confrontation with the Admiralty board. Enjoy!

Chapter XV: A Chance

Shepard finally awoke to a dull pain that ran across her entire body. Blinking she was relieved to find her vision swimming back into focus.

"Shepherd-Commander?"

"Legion?" Shepard groaned.

"You are back online. Our repairs have been successful."

"I suppose so." Shepherd muttered as she tested her fingers. Even this minor act was exhausting.

"Legion, roll me over. I'm sick of lying on my chest."

"Your back has sustained severe damage. It would be inadvisable to place any sort of pressure on it."

"Great." Shepherd lamented.

"Shepherd-Commander, we have come up with a plan for a tactical retreat."

"Do enlighten me Legion." Shepard replied. Being snarky helped her to cope with the pain.

"While you were in the ship's computer you seemed to have triggered a ship wide lockdown. Geth are the only ones able to override this lockdown. Our position is still vulnerable. The creators will attempt to break out of the sections where they have been trapped. We advise a rapid withdrawal. Since you are awake now we can transport you to the shuttle bay." Legion reported.

"What about Tali and Minari, for that matter?"

Legion seemed to shuffle nervously.

"Don't tell me that you forgot about them?"

"Negative. All of our runtimes were consumed with your repairs. We could not spare any mobile platforms to retrieve them."

"Well you can now."

"Confirmed. We have dispatched two platforms to the brig. They should be retrieved within minutes." Legion responded. Two of the Geth standing by the door straightened up before stomping off, no doubt to carry out Legion's orders.

"Alright Legion, now we can get moving."

"Shepherd-Commander?" Legion asked in confusion.

"You can carry me Legion." At the Geth's confused expression Shepard elaborated. "I thought you said we should be leaving?"

"Affirmative, however, a consensus deemed a stretcher to be the most suitable form of conveyance. We are attempting to secure one now."

"You'll do just fine Legion."

"Please wait while we insure that you are stabilized for transport."

Legion and two of his Geth moved over to Shepherd who merely sighed and waited for their examination to be over. When they finished they closed her scrubs back up, which caused more than a few slight aches. Legion gently eased a surgical cap over the mass of bandages on her head before handing her a breath mask. Shepard was actually able to fit the mask herself despite her injuries.

Without further ado and without any warning Legion hoisted her into his arms. Shepherd rolled onto her back and gave a long hiss of pain.

"Some warning would have been nice!" She barked at Legion.

"If we had alerted you, you would have tensed up which could have caused damage. This way you have sustained no damage. We have positioned this platform's arms to ensure that they do not come in contact with any recently healed wounds."

"Legion, I'm filled with a powerful need to be off this ship and back home. Make it happen." Shepherd ordered.

Legion dutifully spun them about and marched through the door followed by the three remaining Geth.

As they made their way through the corridors of the quarian ship Shepard faded in and out of consciousness. Her body slowly began to mend the damage from the surgery as they travelled.

Shepard came awake when Legion came to a slow halt. Looking about her she found that they were standing in front of the hatch to the shuttle bay.

"Tali? Minari?" Shepherd asked.

"Both are safe and waiting for us with the shuttle."

"Good work Legion." Shepherd replied as they stepped through the now open hatch and into the shuttle bay.

The bay was deserted apart from a pair of Geth and a pair of quarians.

"Legion?" Tali queried as she ran over to the Geth. "Who's that?"

"Just your skipper Tali." Shepherd responded dryly. "Or what's left of her."

"Shepard? What happened to you?" Tali asked in surprise.

"Let's just say that it was some surgery gone wrong and that Legion patched me up." Shepherd answered.

"Who did this to you?" Tali continued.

"Tali, I know you're concerned but we don't have the time to talk about it. I want off this ship." Shepard replied, her anxiety apparent in her voice.

Ever since awakening Shepard had not been able to reach Sira but nonetheless she had a bad feeling about what was happening.

"Of course Shepard." Tali responded, dutifully.

The Geth had selected one of the ship's nicer shuttles. The ship was quite spacious. Legion gently eased Shepard into one of the seats in the shuttle's passenger compartment before proceeding up to the cockpit. Tali returned from her search of the shuttle with a blanket to wrap around Shepard. Minari swiftly joined them asking if there was anything she could do.

"I'm fine for the moment" Shepard responded as they lifted off.

A small part of her remarked on how easily the Geth and the quarians had grown used to each other's presences. Tali seemed to simply accept the Geth as being a normal part of daily life while Minari had gone so far as to engage the Prime in a hushed conversation. Shepard shook her head with a smile.

As they left Xen's ship behind Shepard slowly began to feel Sira's presence in her mind. Sira was enraged. The strength of the AI's emotions shocked Shepard and she let out a gasp.

"Is everything alright?" Tali asked with concern.

"No. Sira is angry." Shepard responded, in shock.  
"Shepard-Commander!" Legion yelled, or at least as close as a Geth could come to yelling, from the cockpit.

Shepherd wavered to her feet and almost fell down. Tali wrapped an arm around Shepard and aided her in reaching the cockpit. Minari followed close behind.

The sight before them chilled Shepard's blood. The _Voice_ _of Memory_ was no longer docked with the _Rayya_. Instead she hung like a great predatory bird over the fleet. Shepard was able to perceive the open gun ports on the hull, the reddish glow of Sira's main armament of spinal mass accelerators and the bluish charge of her bow mounted torpedo tubes. Sira was ready to attack and she was prepared to use her entire arsenal.

"She's going to attack!" Tali exclaimed in surprise.

"Why?" Minari asked.

"She thinks we're dead." Shepard responded, quietly. "She's holding the Migrant Fleet responsible for our deaths."

"The fleet will destroy her." Tali responded grimly.

"No Tali, at least not before she destroys most of the fleet."

"Make contact with her." Minari begged. "Tell her you're all right."

"She is jamming all communications." Legion reported.

"She doesn't want to hear." Shepard added.

"There must be something we can do." Tali responded desperately.

"Maybe I can reach her. Legion, bring us in close to her."

Legion obeyed and piloted the shuttle closer to the massive bulk of the dreadnaught.

As they approached Shepard could feel Sira's presence growing stronger. Unlike the normally calm, composed and reassuring presence that Shepard remembered Sira now appeared to be jagged construct of red rage and black grief. Worst of all was the fact that Sira's mind was completely closed to Shepard.

"No, Sira." Shepard whispered to herself. "Let me in. I'm still here."

"Sira's weapons are going active. She's ready to fire!" Tali reported.

Shepard closed her eyes once more in a single last desperate attempt to reach Sira.

Shepard found herself on the same beach where she and Sira had met for the first time. This time the sky was a dark crimson and the beach was pelted with rain. Thunder boomed, deafening Shepard. A single solitary figure stood staring at the roiling mass of white froth that was the ocean.

Sira's hair was matted from the rain and her eyes were sunken with grief as she turned to face Shepard.

"I'm dying aren't I?" She asked.

"No Sira." Shepard replied.

"I wouldn't be able to see you unless I was." Sira replied, grief stricken.

"I'm alive Sira." Shepard persuaded, in a vain attempt to reason with the distraught AI.

"You aren't! I saw you die. I felt you vanish." Sira replied angrily. "I told you what would happen. If you died then I would die."

"Sira, you have to stop. You're going to attack the fleet. You'll die and kill countless innocents in the process."

"Why Emma? Why did you leave me?" Sira mumbled in incoherent grief.

"Sira! Pull yourself together. I'm right here!" Shepard yelled, over the howling wind. She grabbed Sira and shook her.

"Emma?" Sira asked questioningly.

"Reach out Sira. I'm really here." Shepard persuaded.

Sira's only response was to wrap Shepard in a tight embrace.

"Goddess above me Emma. You're alive." Sira shouted in pure relief.

"It's alright. It's over now." Shepard soothed. "Please Sira, you have to call off your attack."

"Of course Emma." Sira replied. "I thought I had lost you. What happened to you?"

"You don't want to know. I mean it. Don't ever look at those memories." Shepard cautioned.

"It was that bad?" Sira asked looking Shepard in the eyes.

"Worse." Shepard sighed.

"You're on a shuttle. The shuttle's controls have been locked for remote guidance." Sira reported with a frown.

"What?" Shepard queried.

"You've been set to land on the _Rayya_. I can't override." Sira continued, a tinge of panic seeping into her voice.

"Stay calm Sira." Shepard ordered. "We'll be alright. I want you to dock with the _Rayya_. Provide us an escape route."

"I'll cut my way through their hull if I have to." Sira promised darkly.

"Try to be diplomatic. For me?" Shepard begged.

"For you Emma. If it fails I'm coming to get you."

"Thank you Sira." Shepard replied as she slowly drifted back to her body.

"Shepard? What happened?" Tali asked.

"I've convinced Sira to stand down. I assume we're being drawn towards the Rayya." Shepherd sighed, exhaustedly.

"How did you know?" Tali asked in surprise.

"Sira." Shepard replied simply.

"We are about to dock with the _Rayya_." Legion interrupted.

"Gather the Geth. Form them up behind me when we disembark." Shepherd ordered. "Tali I'm afraid I'll need your help."

"With what Shepard?"

"I'm going to need some help making it out of here."

"Of course Shepard." Tali replied.

The shuttle touched down moments later. Tali had found Shepard a white robe with a hood to give her a bit more warmth. Shepard stood in front of the airlock door leaning heavily on Tali while Minari took position beside them. Legion formed the Geth up directly behind the organics. As the shuttle door hissed open a team of quarian technicians and marines stared in shock at the hunched figure of Shepard and the two quarians that flanked her. The Geth caused a panic as the quarians dove for cover and brought their weapons to bear on the Geth.

"Hold your fire." Shepard shouted hoarsely. "The Geth are not hostile."

"Shepard?" Kar'Danna shouted back. "You're dead!"

"Not quite, no thanks to you." Shepard rasped back.

"We were just following orders." Kar'Danna replied.

"Well now you can follow my orders. Gather the admirals!"

"You cannot demand their presence!"

"Yes, I can. I have information that will shake the very foundations of this fleet."

"What information?"

"I have information about Daro'Xen's experiments on active Geth, the murder of your fellow quarians during the destruction of the _Alarei_, even about the Geth. Take your pick."

"Follow me. The Geth stay here." Kar'Danna ordered.

"The Geth can come with me or you can shoot us." Shepard retorted angrily. A clanking sound echoed throughout the ship. "That would be the sound of my ship grappling on."

"Fine Shepard. The Geth go with you. They act up and it's your responsibility."

"Lead the way Captain."

Kar'Danna led them through the halls of the _Rayya_. Quarians who saw Shepard and her phalanx of Geth either stopped and stared, dumbfounded, or ran in fear. They finally reached the main plaza where Shepard could already hear the sounds of an argument.

"Your ship tries to attack us and then grapples on to us directly without so much as a hail!" One of the admirals was yelling.

"You brought this on yourself Han'Gerrel!" Was the response from a voice that sounded suspiciously like Liara's. "When you destroyed the _Alarei_."

"Your ship is berserk! There's no telling what it'll do!" Han'Gerrel replied.

"I'll thank you not to refer to my ship in that tone of voice Admiral." Shepard managed to whisper as she hobbled towards the Admirals.

"Emma!" Liara gasped as she ran towards her.

"Easy there Liara! I'm being held together by duct tape and prayers." Shepard wheezed as Liara wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Liara backed off for a moment. "Emma, it's so good to see you."

"You have no idea Liara but we have an audience." Shepard replied.

"Right." Liara stuttered as she realized that the assembled hoard of Quarians was staring at them or rather them and the six Geth behind them.

"There are Geth here!" One quarian shouted.

"Kill the Geth!" Another howled.

"Shut Up!" Shepherd screamed. The intensity of the outburst startled the entire plaza into complete silence.

"It's the same thing. All the time. Let's kill each other! Talking is too difficult!" Shepard criticized. "Killing is simple. We're good and they're bad. Well the truth is that you both are good and you both are bad."

"Geth Lover!" One of the quarians shouted.

Shepard rounded on the unfortunate soul and shrugged herself free of both Tali and Liara. She stalked over to the quarian with a fierce gait.

"Yes, I am. I sympathize with the Geth more than I do with you and let me tell you why. I was sent to the _Alarei_ to save your people. I did that. There were over twenty quarians still alive on that ship when I left. Before you destroyed it!"

"We had no choice!" Han'Gerrel interrupted.

"No, you had a choice!" Shepard responded, turning to face the admirals. "Each of you had a choice and chose wrongly. You didn't talk. You acted. You tried to kill them all."

"The Geth are our enemies. They would kill us all if given the chance." Han'Gerrel shouted back.

"I don't know Admiral. I see six Geth in this room. Each one is more than capable of going on a homicidal rampage. Each one is more than capable of killing you, even unarmed."

"You've just hacked them! They could break free at any time." Han'Gerrel argued.

"Be quiet and let her speak! You're just making a fool of yourself." Zaal'Koris interrupted.

"As I said you tried to kill the Geth yourselves but that didn't work out. So you sent me in. Who better than the slayer of Geth herself? Do you know what I found on that ship? I found that you had been experimenting on active Geth."

"Those activities were not sanctioned by the admiralty board!" The final admiral interrupted. "They would be criminal!"

"It didn't stop them from happening!" Shepard shouted back. "Those experiments bordered on the torture of sentient beings!"

"These are lies!" Han'Gerrel exclaimed. "She's just making it up."

"Tell them Minari! Tell them what happened on that ship!"

"It's true. Everything Shepard says is true." Minari responded, quietly.

"So you did experiment on active Geth?" The chief admiral asked.

"Yes."

"It was torture?"

"Yes."

"Minari isn't to blame!" Shepard interrupted, before the admirals could shift the focus to the only survivor of the _Alarei_. "Rael'Zorah wasn't to blame! The experiments might have happened on his watch. He might have authorized them but the desire, the drive to commit these acts came from this room. It came from each one of you!"

"What is this madness? Explain yourself Shepard!" Zaal'Koris roared.

"Your entire culture is fixated on returning to the quarian homeworld. You see the Geth as mere machines. Evil machines, to be sure, but just machines. Just tools. Tools don't show pain. Tools don't have hopes and dreams. They just are. The Geth aren't machines. They are sentient! They have a right to exist! They have just as much right to exist as you!"

"This talk is treason!" Han'Gerrell shouted back, followed by a murmur of assent.

"If it is treason then all the more reason it be said here and now in front of the citizens of this fleet! You don't want this to come out do you Admiral. I might arouse sympathy for the Geth."

"Yes! We need to drive them from our homes!" Han'Gerrel responded vehemently.

"And then you need to wipe them out so they won't pose a threat. Right?"

"Of course. The Geth are a hostile form of life!"

"What about you Admiral?" Shepard questioned, turning her attention to Zaal'Koris.

"I don't agree with my colleague. A war would be too costly."

"So you would negotiate?"

"I would not go that far."

"You would negotiate." Shepard replied finally. "It seems that we have an admiral who won't be attending this conference. Do you want to know why?"

The plaza filled with suspicious murmurs.

"I'll tell you why!" Shepard shouted, in angry voice. "She was experimenting on active Geth! Only she didn't restrict her experiments to Geth. She showed me where this fleet is going."

"Where is that?" One quarian yelled.

"Into the depths of hell! You've already taken the first steps. You experimented on the Geth. Admiral Xen took it one step further. She experimented on me! She tried to use my mind, my cybernetics to control the Geth. Do you know what I learned from that?"

Complete silence met her question.

"I learned that when you objectify one form of sentient life on the basis of it looking, acting, thinking, or feeling different you forge a chain. That's the first link. The next link is much easier to forge. Admiral Xen forged it. She saw me as being an alien. To her I was no different from the Geth. An unfeeling tool which she could use to bring the fleet back to the homeworld. The next link in the chain is to look at each other as objects. To reduce your fellow quarians to the same level as the Geth either because they don't agree with you or because they would be useful in helping you return to the homeworld."

"We would never do that to our own kind." The chief admiral shouted a Shepard, unable to contain herself.

"You did it already! You killed all those people on the _Alarei_. You probably consoled yourselves with the thought that they were already dead. Or even that they died keeping the fleet safe. As soon as you view someone as being expendable you've already forged that last link."

The plaza broke into chaos. Worried murmuring grew to a fever pitch. Kar'Danna eventually had to have his marines fire a few blank rounds just to restore order. As the talk subsided the quarians focussed back on Shepard.

"What can we do?" One of them yelled.

"You can carry on the way that you have already in which case this fleet will be destroyed by the Geth. Either in a pre-emptive strike by the Geth fleet or over the skies of your homeworld. Either way the Quarians will be wiped out as a civilization. You'll be remembered with the Protheans."

"You think to threaten us with far-fetched visions of the future." Another quarian yelled.

"No. This isn't far-fetched it is what will happen if you don't turn from this path."

"What would you have us do?"

"Choose another path! The path of peace! You have a unique opportunity. One of the Geth stands with us in this very hall today. The real Geth! The ones that defended themselves during the Morning War. This is your one chance to open a dialogue. To reach a solution that sees you returning to the homeworld. A return in triumph! A return without a single Quarian life lost. A return without a single Geth life lost. A return without the spectre of war hanging over your heads. A chance to rebuild your civilization. Would you cast this chance for peace away? Are any of you that blind to think that you could ever win in a battle with the Geth?"

"We created the Geth." Han'Gerrel interrupted. "We know their weaknesses and we can defeat them in a battle!"  
"No you couldn't. You have a collection of ancient ships. A large collection I'll grant you. The Geth have had three hundred years to evolve. They have had three hundred years to develop new technologies. To build new ships. To colonize new worlds. The Geth have an empire behind the Veil. An empire with more ships than you could even dream of. The Migrant fleet is insignificant compared to the Geth."

"So you would have us surrender? To become slaves to the Geth or worse." Han'Gerrel mocked.

"When I first met with Legion, I didn't trust him. I have killed many Geth in my time. Then I stopped. I spoke to him. There is one thing that he said to me. He told me that the Geth believe that every form of sentient life has the right to make its own decisions. These don't sound like the words of a machine bent on genocide. They sound more enlightened than the words that you have spoken to me today."

Han'Gerrel spluttered for a moment and was about to speak when someone in the crowd shouted something.

"The Ru'asa! The Ru'asa has returned to us."

"That's blasphemy!" Another voice shouted.

"She is!"

"She is the one who will lead us to peace!"

"Shepard Ru'asa!"

Shepard blinked in confusion. The calls sounded suspiciously like the Quarians thought that she was some sort of messiah, or saint.

"Tali?" Shepard called.

"Shepard?" Tali replied as she materialized at Shepard's side along with Liara.

"What the devil are they going on about?" Shepard groaned, the pain of her wounds returning with a vengeance.

"It's a religious term. It means the one who will guide us to peace."  
"I am not a messiah!" Shepard ground out in pain.

"They seem to think you are." Liara joked.

"Funny, Liara. Very funny." Shepard bit back, her head beginning to swim.

"I don't like this." Tali began nervously. "This could turn into a riot."

"Get Legion to clear us a path and get us the hell out of here." Shepard ordered before murmuring, "Double vision? This can't be good."

"Shepard?" Liara's voice seemed very far away.

Shepard felt her knees give out and she collapsed in a heap to the deck. As her sight began to fail she could hear raised voices and gunfire.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: While everyone seems to be expecting some sort of riot or civil war I think Shepard has had enough excitement for one trip through the Migrant Fleet. This chapter is really the denouement of the Migrant Fleet arc. The next chapter will begin the Illusive Man arc. You can expect a grand showdown between Shepard and the Illusive Man over the coming chapters as well as the return of old and new characters. An old enemy will also be making an appearance in the next arc so stay tuned! I am also going to be tuning my update schedule back to the more realistic one update a week after I post the next chapter. As a final note I appreciate all the reviews people have given me especially those pointing out errors, plot oversights or loose ends(especially loose ends). They all help to keep my writing tight and accurate, thank you!

Chapter XVI: Negotiation

Shepard blinked several times as she gradually came to. Unpleasantly, she realized that she was still wearing her breath mask which meant that she was still on the _Rayya_. The room she was in was darkened and the bed was relatively comfortable. Shepard's groan as she shifted position alerted the room's other occupant. Liara rushed over to Shepard's beside.

"Emma, don't try to move too quickly. You went unconscious." Liara informed her.

"That's a polite way of saying that I fainted." Shepard joked.

"If you want." Liara replied playfully.

"Where are we?" Shepard asked.

"Still on the _Rayya_. The Captain's cabin to be precise. It's the only place where you could get some privacy."

"That's nice." Shepard replied softly. "I heard gunfire."

"It was just the marines trying to drive off the crowd."

"What happened?"

"The crowd seemed to think that you were their messiah."

Shepard burst into laughter, "For a minute there I thought you said that they thought I was their messiah."

"I did." Liara replied, perfectly serious.

"Not a joke then?"

"No."

"So the entire fleet thinks that I'm the equivalent of the second coming?"

"Not precisely. I asked Tali to get me a copy of their religious text."

"And?"

"Roughly translated it says: And Keelah cast the quarians into darkness for their failures. Their punishment was to wander the night skies until the Ru'asa found them. The Ru'asa would not be as other quarians. She would see the world with eyes free of the scales of the past."

"Stop right there. You're telling me that their holy book predicted that someone like me would show up and tell the quarians that peace with the Geth was a good idea?"

"There's more." Liara replied before continuing with her translation, "A little further down it says: You will know her not simply by her vision but also by her companions. She will bring your greatest enemy with her as a friend. Fear not for they will be enemies no longer. The Ru'asa will also bear the terrible scars of a great battle with the ancient enemy and the scars of new enemies."

"Riight. It sounds like a lot of happenstance."

"You don't have to read it literally Emma." Liara corrected, "The point is that the Quarians have been looking for a leader. Someone to take them back to the homeworld. Your big speech only showed them what they already knew. Their ruling body doesn't have the vision to lead them back to the homeworld. You showed up and offered them a new vision and a very attractive vision."

"I don't want to be their messiah! I'm not even religious. I would make a terrible messiah!" Shepard argued.

"Maybe, but you would make a great leader. You just need to set the admiralty board on the right course. Maybe form a delegation to negotiate with the Geth."

Shepard sighed. Simple favours always turned into the most complicated situations. Just drop Tali off with the fleet. Simple. By the end of the day you've adopted a network of Geth, watched Tali's father die, nearly been killed, been lobtomized, had a visit from a Reaper, nearly gone on a homicidal rampage and oh yes been proclaimed the Quarian's new messiah.

"Does the fleet agree that I'm the Ru'asa?" Shepard asked, vainly hoping that it was only a fraction that supported her.

"Almost all of them believe that you are the Ru'asa. The tales that have been spread around about you coming back from the dead, slaying a Reaper single handed, and your fiery steed, would make you laugh."

"I'm guessing that the fiery steed would be Sira. I don't think that she'll appreciate that too much." Shepard said with a laugh.

"Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anyway way out. The dissenters about your holy status have all conceded that you do know how to make a good argument. Excellent leadership material or so I've heard."

"Let me guess, Kar'Danna. He never struck me as the religious type."

"Right as always."

"So what's on the agenda?"

"You get better."

"I don't have to bless any baby Quarians or anoint any ships?" Shepard joked.

"You may laugh Emma." Liara replied, mock seriously.

"So what's the prognosis?"

"A week to fully recover."

"A week?" Shepard groaned. "I suppose we can't go back to the _Voice_."

"They aren't letting you off the ship."

"What ever am I to do stuck in bed for a week?"

"If we weren't on a quarian ship I could think of a few things." Liara replied seductively.

"Mmmm. Such a cruel thing to say." Shepard purred.

"At least now we know what its like to be a quarian."

"Remind me to ask Tali how they even keep the species going if they can't take their suits off."

"Probably cloning." Liara guessed.

"I wonder why we can't take our helmets off." Shepard mused. "It's not like we'll get sick from breathing the air."

"No but the bacteria and viruses in our breath could make others sick. Who knows what could happen."

"A pity." Shepard sighed. "Why don't you read me some more of that holy book. Maybe we can find something funny in it about how I'm going to raise the dead or slay a few dragons."

The days of Shepard's recovery passed slowly. Most of her crew stopped by to visit. Miranda had arrived for a visit and had end up staying on the _Rayya_ proclaiming that she hadn't almost been atomized by that insane computer just have it happen all over again. Tali had, on Shepard's insistence taken Miranda and Oriana on a tour of the fleet. Apparently Shepard's new status was lent her quite a bit of pull. Marisa had taken temporary command of the ship but Shepard knew that deep down Sira was always in control. She just allowed her organic crew the comforting illusion of being in control. Samaurez being the cipher that he was had taken direct command of the squad of marines that maintained a round the clock guard over Shepard. This of course had provoked the quarians to maintain their own guard over Shepard. Legion had relocated the Geth back to the _Voice of Memory_ in an effort to decrease tensions with the migrant fleet. Legion himself had remained on the _Rayya_ in an effort to habituate the quarians to his presence and to provide an extra layer of security for Shepard.

Shepard herself whiled the hours away talking with Liara, sleeping, or silently communing with Sira. Her ordeal had left her weakened which was an unusual position for the normally invincible Commander Shepard.

On the fourth day her hair had slowly begun to grow once more leaving her with a short stubble. At least it was going to grow back she consoled herself. The loss of her hair had been one of the worst parts of her experience. She was fond of the stuff even if it could prove to be a handful at times. Her musings were interrupted with the soft chime of her door. Sighing to herself she turned away from the darkened monitor that she had been using as a defacto mirror. Straightening her outer robe she pulled her hood back up to cover her head. As Shepard hit the door release she was met by Liara and seven Quarians.

"Visitors?" Shepard asked.

"The admirality board has sent one of their representatives along with this committee of the conclave. They were quite insistent on visiting."

"Please come in."

"Thank you Ru'asa." One of the delegation replied, politely.

"Please just call me Emma."

"Of course."

After the quarians and Liara had jammed themselves into the cabin Shepard looked from one to the other in an effort to gauge why they had come to visit her. Eventually the one who had spoken to her first began.

"Emma, the Quarian conclave has voted on your status and they have declared you to be the Ru'asa. There was almost no dissent."

"Why did you choose me?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"The decision was not taken lightly. Your impassioned speech coupled with the fact that returned from a mission where everyone had presumed you to be dead were powerful portents."

"They were just coincidences."

"Even the most conservative and pragmatic delegates have conceded that you presented us with the most hope for the future that this fleet has seen in a long time."

"So what does this entail for me?" Shepard asked cautiously.

"You've been granted the right to make policy and in essence lead the fleet. All of your decisions will have to be ratified by the admirals and the conclave."

"It's not that I'm not honoured by your faith in me but I have my own mission and my own responsibilities to my people. How will I be able to undertake both at once?"

"It was our profound hope that you would assist us in the leadership of the peace talks with the Geth. You understand them in a way that no one else can. You would be the perfect mediator between our two peoples and thanks to the position we have granted you any decisions that you make would be binding to the fleet."

"So you don't expect me to take direct leadership of the fleet?"

"No Emma. We would not impose such a burden. The only burden we place on your shoulders is that of negotiating the peace."

"Well, that's something I would be glad to help with provide of course that the Geth are amenable."

"Of course, however, your ability to command their respect is impressive. We have no doubt that you will be able to negotiate a favourable peace."

"I'll need to speak with Legion." Shepard realized.

"Of course. We wish you a speedy recovery." The spokesman of the delegation replied before he ushered his fellows out of the cabin.

"What do you think Liara?" Shepard asked after the Quarians had left.

"I wish we had met the Conclave first. The admirals seem to be rather impetuous."

"That's putting it mildly." Shepard responded.  
"I've heard a few pieces of news while I was out."

"Do tell." Shepard entreated. "I don't hear much of anything anymore."

"Daro'Xen is dead. The official cause of death was viral infection. The scuttlebutt is that it was suicide."

"She might have been an evil woman but I can't help but feel a bit sorry for her. To become that twisted. How does that happen?" Shepard mused.

"I believe the quaint human expression that the road to hell is paved with good intentions probably best sums it up." Liara responded thoughtfully. "I started my business as an information broker intent on avenging a friend and freeing the galaxy from the evil of the Shadow Broker. In the end the evil almost consumed me."

"It's a reminder of that very fine line that we all walk." Shepard replied, the memory of Archon springing to the forefront of her mind.

"I also heard some news about Minari. Apparently she's to stand trial for experimenting on active Geth. Apparently the verdict is expected to be exile."

"After all she's been through it doesn't really seem fair."

"True but from what I've heard she hasn't made any attempt to defend herself or deny the accusations."

"She's probably guilty but she doesn't deserve exile."

"What can we do?"

"I suppose I could make my status work for me."

"How so?"

"I could always demand that her punishment be a term of service to me. At least that way she would have a chance of returning to the fleet some day."

"Are you sure that we could trust her?" Liara asked quizzically.

"I'm quite sure. She seemed to be an upstanding scientist who just got caught up in the whole mess. At least she did something rather than just following the herd. You have to admire that kind of independence."

"If I didn't know better I would almost think that I should be jealous." Liara replied in a mock affronted tone.

"If I wasn't in this breath mask and you weren't in that suit I would show you that you don't have anything to be worried about." Shepard replied playfully.

"Lets elope!" Liara joked.

"Don't tempt me you blue seductress you. My mother warned me about your kind!"

"What did she say?" Liara asked as she sidled up to Shepard.

"That she'll leave you spent on some alien world missing a kidney!" Shepard concluded the old joke.

"That doesn't really happen?" Liara asked seriously.

"More so than you would know. Remember Garrus and that little detour to the freighter. That was part of the whole black market organ trade."

"I never really realized." Liara paused before continuing nostalgically. "I miss Garrus."

"He certainly was a quite the turian. I wonder what happened to him."

"He dropped off the grid after the _Normandy_. I sent out a few feelers but I never found anything concrete."

"I have a feeling that we might see him again. He always had a knack for turning up in odd places. Speaking of old comrades we should go and see if we can find Legion."

"Are you sure that you're up to it?"

"Some fresh air, pardon the joke, will do me good."

Shepard followed Liara out of the cabin and was unsurprised to see a pair of her crew staring down their Quarian counterparts.

"At ease boys" Shepard replied as the marines snapped to attention. "We're just going for a walk. You're welcome to join us."

"Of course Commander!" The first marine replied.

"There's no need to be so formal Jaffer." Shepard chided recognizing the marine who had accompanied her on the mission to Freedom's Progress.

"If you say so." Jaffer responded easily as he and his comrade fell into step behind Shepard.

The quarian marines had taken position behind Shepard and her marines without a word.

As Shepard and Liara made their way through the _Rayya_ they were recognized by various groups of quarians who invariable broke into hushed conversation after the party had passed. When they reached the main plaza Shepard and her party came to a halt. Legion was there surrounded by a crowd of bemused quarians. Drawing closer they could hear what the group was talking about.

"What's the homeworld like now?" One of the younger quarians asked inquisitively.

"Your homeworld remains in much the same ecological state as when the creators originally left. The Geth have only occupied the major cities. Development has been restricted."

"Why?" Another asked.

"Geth have always considered the homeworld as a possible bargaining chip. It was therefore unwise to substantially modify it or establish major Geth installations upon the homeworld."

"Where do the Geth live?"

"Your query is imprecise. We have extrapolated the real query as being related to the nature and location of the Geth homeworld. Its exact location is classified however it resides in a vast nebula deep inside the Veil."

"What's it like?"

"The bulk of surface has been colonized by the Geth however there are still a number of regions where the planet's natural beauty has remained preserved."

"What interest would Geth have in natural beauty?" One quarian interrogated harshly.

"Geth do not have a direct aesthetic appreciation however we have noted that the majority of sentient species do have such an appreciation of such locations. A consensus determined that maintaining these regions and studying them may enable Geth to better interact with sentient organics should the need arise."

"Look! The Ru'asa!" One of the quarians shouted as they finally noticed Shepard in the background of the group.

"Shepard!" The murmur resounded through the crowd.

"I think they expect your wisdom." Liara whispered helpfully.

"I'm only here to speak with Legion. You are all welcome to stay and listen since our discussion concerns you all." Shepard began nervously.

"Is this about our return to the homeworld?" The young quarian Shepard had first seen speaking with Legion inquired.

"Yes it is." Shepard responded hopefully.

"Shepard-Commander?" Legion inquired his head plates arranging themselves into a questioning look.

"Legion I've been approached by the Conclave about opening diplomatic relations with the Geth. I said I would have to talk to you first. What do you think the Geth would say about the possibility?"

"The Geth would not have been open to such a request if it had originated during the previous political climate."

"And now?"

"Given the semi-religious position that you have been granted we are tempted to explore the issue further. We are also aware of the potential advantages of such an alliance. We are especially interested in the possibility of Creator assistance in eliminating the heretic Geth completely."

"So you would be open then?"

"We would be willing to speak directly to the Conclave if you supervised the negotiation. We caution you that for any negotiation to be truly concluded a delegation of Creators must meet with the Geth Nexus."

"The Nexus?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"The Nexus is the voice of the consensus. It resides on the homeworld. Any negotiation would be considered preliminary until it was approved by the Nexus." Legion responded.

"So we have to meet with the Geth?"

"Affirmative."

Shepard turned to the assembled crowd.

"As people of the fleet I address you, what terms would you seek from the Geth and what would you be prepared to surrender to the Geth in order to make that peace a reality."

The Quarians shifted uncertainly obviously unused to having their opinions directly solicited.

Finally the precocious quarian who had been so active spoke up.

"We want our homeworld back!"

"What would you be prepared to do to get it back?" Shepard queried.

The Quarian looked a bit taken aback.

"Legion, what do you think that the Quarians would need to do in order to get their homeworld back?"

"The Geth would settle for no less than the complete disarmament of the Migrant fleet. We could only feel secure when the Creators would be unable to wage war against us."

"We would never agree to those terms!" One of the quarians shouted.

"Quite rightly so!" Shepard agreed. "Can you suggest a compromise?"

"I uh." The quarian hesitated.

"I asked you. I don't care if you think that the idea you have maybe silly or you maybe ridiculed by your comrades. I want to hear it." Shepard insisted.

"Maybe we could keep some of our ships intact. You said that the Geth outnumber us so we couldn't possibly pose a threat to them."

"What do you think Legion?"

"The Geth would require some type of guarantee that these ships could not be used against the Geth before we could even consider such a possibility."  
"Why not have Geth aboard the ships?" The young quarian suggested once again.

"That's a ridiculous idea." Another shouted. "We can't work with Geth."

"No it isn't." Shepard interrupted. "If I had told you two days ago that you would be speaking with a Geth you would have told me that it was ridiculous yet here we are! The concept is far from ridiculous. What do you think Legion?"

"The idea has merit." Legion conceded. "Geth presence aboard creator warships would ensure that hostile action would be difficult."

"We would want some of our people on your ships to ensure that you didn't do the same to us!" The strident quarian asserted evidently not dissuaded by Shepard's speech.

"You lack the population to post a Creator on each Geth ship." Legion replied simply. "Nor could a Creator survive for a prolonged period of time aboard a Geth vessel."

"Compromise Legion." Shepard suggested.

"We concede that your concerns have merit. It would be unfair of us to expect you to abide by a set of stipulations when we had no ability to reciprocate. We suggest that it would be possible for the Geth to construct vessels capable of accommodating mixed crews in order satisfactorily meet this requirement."

"What about other terms?" Shepard inquired.

"What about our colonies?"

"Do you even have the population to expand on to colonies?" Shepard inquired.

"Well no." The quarian conceded. "But it will become an issue at some point."

"Are there any worlds left behind the Veil for the Quarians?" Shepard asked Legion.

"Geth environmental requirements are vastly different from Quarian environmental requirements. We have maintained only minimal presences on former Quarian colony worlds. These operations have been aimed at resource extraction. The Geth prefer space borne complexes for the bulk of their operations. Provided the resource operations remain intact we see no barriers to future creator recolonization."

"That seems fair to me." Shepard added.

"What about our cities? Will the Geth rebuild them?"

The questions and answers shot back and forth between the Geth and the Quarians for hours. Once their opinions were solicited the Quarians proved to be a vocal bunch. Eventually Shepard had to plead exhaustion before retiring to her quarters once more. Before leaving she had asked Legion his opinion of the proceedings. Legion had noted that they still had a long way to go but that consensus between Geth and Creators seemed more possible than it had been since the Morning War.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: So begins the Illusive Man Arc. This section is partially inspired by the book ME: Retribution. Expect Expanded Universe Characters such as Paul Grayson and Liselle to show up in this chapter as well as everyone's favourite Pirate Queen of Omega. Since Terminus Est has been feeling remarkably lonely recently it to will be putting in an appearance. Without further ado on with the story!

Chapter XVII: A Distress Call

By the time Shepard and her crew finally left the Migrant Fleet nearly a week later her status as Ru'asa had been firmly entrenched. Her escapade with conducting an impromptu negotiation between the people of the fleet and Legion coupled with her impassioned speech seemed to have removed all doubt. Her departure had met with a clamour of regret on the part of the Fleet's population.

Shepard had prevailed upon the Admirals to commute Minari'Saal's punishment to a period of service to Shepard and her crew to be determined by Shepard herself. Shepard was frankly glad that they had another quarian with them. For her part Tali had claimed that the fleet held too many troubling memories and that she desperately wanted some time away. Legion and the new network of Geth had ensconced themselves in a machine shop on the lower decks and had built a Geth network node to facilitate their interactions. If anything Shepard would have said that Legion was happy to have the company.

The Migrant Fleet had gathered a team of negotiators including the grumpy Han'Gerrel and the snarky Zaal'Koris. When Tali had introduced the chief admiral as Shala'Raan the admiral had confided to Shepard that she was glad to be rid of the two admirals while the fleet selected its two replacements. Shepard had merely joked that it seemed as though Shala was angling to be in sole control of the fleet. Shala for her part was taken aback before she realized that the human was joking. The remainder of the delegation consisted of the speaker of the Conclave, Marn'Tal, a trio of Conclave delegates, the precocious quarian, Rusu'Sen and a detachment of Quarian marines. Their presence meant that the _Voice _had been transformed from dreadnaught to diplomatic ship. Sira had been less than pleased with the transformation. The end result was also that Shepard had been forced to take the ship into the Veil to conclude the negotiations, a fact that made her more than a bit nervous. While Legion seemed affable enough she wasn't sure what the other Geth would be like or if they would even be friendly.

Shepard had just reached the bridge when Joker called her over.

"Good timing Commander. We're picking up a distress signal coming from Omega."

"Why am I the only one to ever be in range of distress calls? Why can't someone else answer them once in a while?" Shepard muttered before addressing Joker. "What's the scoop Joker? Who sent it and what's the nature of their distress?"

"It's just a basic general distress call coming from the station itself." Joker reported unhelpfully.

"It could be a trap." Marisa added appearing by Shepard's side. "We should ignore it."

"It's a mystery Marisa. I don't like ignoring mysteries. They have a habit of coming back to bite me."

Marisa didn't look pleased about Shepard's conclusion but like a good soldier followed her commander's orders.

"Alter course Joker. Sira, inform the quarians that we're going to be making a slight detour."

As the _Voice of Memory_ cleared the Omega Relay the command crew had assembled on the bridge of the ship. Liara had taken her usually position over by the sensor station while Miranda had taken position next Shepard on the Command platform. Marisa had opted to supervise Joker's approach. Sira, of course, had taken position on Shepard's opposite side.

"We should make a stealth approach." Miranda suggested.

"Reason?" Shepard responded.

"Tipping the denizens of Omega off to our presence wouldn't be a good idea. Someone might be liable to pass our position on to the Citadel and then we would have the Council fleet all over us in a matter of hours."

"I think you overestimate my importance." Shepard mused. "We approach fully visible with combat systems active. We certainly wouldn't want to look like an easy mark. Joker, bring us in to a geosynchronous orbit with Omega. Mahoney, start running scans and start intercepting their comm traffic. I want to know what's going on before I even set foot on the station."

A chorus of "Aye, Ma'ams" greeted her commands. Shepard patiently waited as the image of Omega gradually began to resolve itself on the holographic display. Each section gradually became clearer as it was mapped by successive LADAR, infrared, radiation scans.

"Impressive scanners." Miranda breathed as the hologram finished resolving itself. "I bet we could pinpoint individual biosigns with these."

"Indeed you could XO Lawson." Sira replied, cheerfully.

"Commander! I've localized the distress call." Mahoney reported from the sensor station. "The carrier wave is not one that is used by any of the Council races. From the database, the best match I could make was with a Reaper signal."

"It's a trap!" Miranda concluded. "The Reapers must have intended to lure us here to ambush us."

"Thank you Admiral." Shepard responded sarcastically before becoming serious once more. "Too much doesn't add up. If the Reapers were going to ambush me they or their little insect buddies would be here to greet us. I couldn't even imagine a Reaper ever being in distress so that eliminates that possibility."

"So what does that leave?" Miranda asked in confusion.

"A mystery!" Shepard replied with a wide grin. "Miranda and Liara are with me. Commander Pearce is in command until we get back. Have Tali, Samaurez and Legion meet us in the hangar bay. Given how big this station is we'll have to split up to reach this signal."

"Here we go again." Miranda groaned under her breath.

"Commander, the signal appears to have jumped!" Mahoney announced from her station.

"What do you mean jumped?"

"The signal appears to moving from transceiver to transceiver on the station." Liara explained, supplementing Mahoney's report. "The signal itself gives us no clue as to its actual origin."

"Our life just became more difficult. Let's get moving!"

As they boarded the shuttle Shepard was surprised to find Justina at the helm. In the excitement of the past several days she had completely forgotten about their asari guest. When last they had met they were enemies and now she was piloting their shuttle.

"So?" Shepard began uncertainly.

"Your XO was kind enough to offer me a position on the ship once she had checked out my credentials." Justina replied nonchalantly.

"And you just accepted? Even though we're criminals?" Shepard asked in disbelief.

"I was bored. Seeing the cosmos with you seemed like a good career move." The pilot replied in a blasé tone.

"You're not telling me something." Shepard concluded.

"Given that my choices were to rot away in your brig or work for you this one seemed the better choice." Justina elaborated irritably.

"Why did Miranda make you this offer? She doesn't seem the compassionate type."

"There was a catch to it I'll admit but if you want details you'll have to ask her."

Shepard grumbled under her breath as she left Justina at the controls and made her way to the stern to find Miranda. As she was about to speak to Miranda she was interrupted by Liara.

"Shepard, you should probably strap in." Liara added helpfully.

Shepard dutifully strapped herself in next to her lover before turning to regard her thoughtfully.

"Did you know about Justina being our pilot?"

"I did. It seems as though Miranda has taken her into her confidence. I must admit that it seems rather peculiar to me."

"I'll say. Have they done anything odd that might explain this?"

"They aren't seeing each other if that's what you mean. From what I gather from Sira, Miranda did some digging into Justina's background. Apparently our guest was once a commando and a distinguished one at, that before she was demoted and found work in a private sector Illium law enforcement office. Apparently Miranda knows something about her that makes her willing to trust her. Knowing Miranda it would have to be a good reason."

"I guess I'll find out at some point." Shepard sighed.

The rest of the trip to Omega passed in relative silence broken only by the occasional whispered conversation. In general the team was too disparate to have much in common with one another. Shepard seemed to be the one unifying force among them.

With a soft shudder the shuttle arrived in one of the rundown docking bays of Omega. As the stern hatch hissed open the team disembarked in combat formation scanning their surroundings. Everyone of them knew that Omega was not the place to let your guard down.

Shepard tapped her earpiece. "Justina, we're off. You can leave at any time. Make sure to keep an open comm in case we need to evacuate."

"Aye, Aye, Ma'am." Came the asari's smart remark.

As the team cleared the docking bay Shepard watched the shuttle spin on its axis to face the open aperture of the docking bay before darting back into the blackness.

"This is one place I hoped I would never have to return to." Liara murmured, quietly.

"Seconded." Miranda interrupted.

"Bad memories?" Shepard questioned.

"Omega is a single bad memory. The galaxy would be better off without it." The characteristically silent Samaurez interjected.

"Why do I get the feeling that everyone here has had a bad episode involving Omega except for me?"

"Even I've had a bad experience on Omega, Shep." A voice from the shadows interjected.

"Kasumi, somehow I had a feeling you would be along for the ride. Omega seems like your kind of place." Miranda replied haughtily.

"I'm almost insulted by that one Miranda." Kasumi replied playfully.

"We aren't going to find anything standing around here. We'll split into teams. Miranda you take Samaurez, Legion and Kasumi and go find the esteemed Doctor. Tali, Liara and myself will see about tracking down the source of our little mystery." Shepard's next comment was interrupted by the arrival of a grim looking Batarian with an escort of mercs.

"Shepard, you've got Aria's attention. Meet her at the Afterlife. Now." The Batarian grated.

"I don't take orders from thugs or lackeys and considering you fall under both categories I definitely don't take orders from you." Shepard retorted.

"You'll take orders from Aria or you'll find yourself in a dumpster." The Batarian replied angrily.

"Who is Aria anyway?"

"Local crime boss." Miranda added helpfully.

"Besides the fact that she thinks she can kill me what reason do I have to visit her?" Shepard asked the Batarian.

"She doesn't think, she knows she can have you killed. That should be reason enough for most. If it isn't you should know that Aria doesn't usually invite people to meet her so politely."

"That explains your attitude." Shepard baited.

"I'm through with you Shepard. Show up or don't." The Batarian snarled before making his exit.

"You certainly have a knack for getting into trouble." Liara noted with a slight grin.

"And that's why we're still together. Never a dull moment." Shepard replied with a grin to match Liara's.

"What are you going to do Shepard?" Miranda interrupted.

"You and your team are going to find Solus." Shepard punctuated her orders by handing her a flat oblong. "Take this with you. It's a direct link to Sira. You'll probably need her help. Try not die."

Shepard finished her orders with a quick wink before she followed the Batarian along with Tali and Liara.

As they left the hangar bay they made their way towards the main concourse of the spire. From Omega's schematics Shepard knew that gravity had actually been inverted within the asteroid so that what she perceived as down from the exterior was actually up. The spire's 'bottom' was embedded in the asteroid itself. The spire itself was actually a collection of individual towers encased within a metal shell. Shepard and her group found themselves within the slightly brighter main concourse of the tower. Countless alien races bustled by most not even sparing a glance towards the newcomers. Glancing about her Shepard was able to localize the centre of the quarter not simply by its prominent position but also by the pounding bass.

"Afterlife?" Shepard remarked as she read the club's name.

"Never will you find a greater hive of scum and villainy, we must be cautious." Liara intoned, seriously.

Shepard turned to stare before bursting into laughter.

"What's so funny?" The confused asari asked.

"You mean you weren't making joke?" Shepard replied wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"No." Liara replied a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. "I was merely attempting to accurately describe the content of the club."

"I'm sorry Liara. It's just that you quoted an old vid by accident. The quote is relevant though."

"I see, I'll have remember that. This also happens to be where Aria keeps her court."

"You make her sound like Hades."

"The metaphor is not inaccurate. She rules over the souls of those damned enough to call Omega their home."

"If a goddess demands our presence then who are we to deny them."

"And I thought the wards were dodgy." Tali remarked as they made their way towards the entrance of the club.

As they drew closer Shepard could already see the line to get in. Somehow she didn't think that waiting line was called for. Bypassing the line the trio simply walked straight to the door. A Batarian bouncer merely nodded to them before waving them through the door.

The ante room itself had a collection of various species all shouting to make themselves heard over the pounding music. Shepard and her team did their best to ignore most of the acts taking place. Stepping onto the main floor gave Shepard an excellent view of a massive holo-pillar depicting a scantily clad asari.

"Not again." Shepard groaned. "I thought I had left Chora's Den behind me."

"Think of it as an enlarged version." Liara added.

"For the oldest species and one would hope, eventually, the wisest species in the galaxy the asari do spend their Maiden years living on the wild side." Shepard noted as she gestured at the dozen or so Asari dancers on the raised platform.

"Why is it that humans always think of us as 'dancers' or mercenaries?" Liara groused. "It would be like me saying that all human teens are delinquents. Or that all quarians are mechanical geniuses."

"Thanks for the compliment." Tali joked.

"Behind every stereotype there is a grain of truth. Just look at Liara." Shepard continued.

"Excuse me? I wasn't dancing on a stage when you met me." Liara argued angrily.

"No you were an academic who ended up as a soldier. I rest my case that young asari seek excitement."

"And I think that humans are cursed with one of the worst senses of humour among all sentient species." Liara grumbled realizing Shepard's joke. "Perhaps you should share your musings with our hostess."

Shepard followed Liara's pointed finger to a lone asari surveying the room in front of her.

"Aria?"

"Indeed."

"You know her?"

"We've met." Liara replied icily.

"Let's see what she wants."

Shepard gradually began to wind her way across the dance floor avoiding the various gyrating bodies of the dancers. Mid way across the music changed as did the lighting plunging the crowd into complete darkness before a series of darkbulbs illuminated the dancing mass. In an instinctive response Shepard drew her sword and sunk into a combat position. Tali and Liara responded by yanking their pistols free. The presence of so many weapons on the dance floor created a panic which rapidly emptied the dance floor leaving Shepard and her comrades the only occupants. The mercenary security force rapidly moved to encircle the trio.

"Weapons down!" One of the mercenaries yelled.

"Not on your life!" Shepard yelled back.

"Last chance!"

"All of you lower your weapons." Aria commanded from her dais.

The mercenaries obeyed quickly. Shepard eased her hold on her sword before giving Liara and Tali a nod to lower their weapons.

"You are safe here, for the moment." Aria addressed her.

One of her mercenaries attempted to run a scan on Shepard but was only able to raise his hand before he found the razor sharp end of Terminus Est at his throat.

"No-one scans me." Shepard hissed.

"A necessary precaution, Shepard." Aria soothed. "You should let him proceed. Then there won't be any need for the weapons or the unpleasantness."

"He'll need something more powerful than an omni tool to scan me." Shepard replied as she eased her sword from the mercenary's neck. The mercenary for his part gasped in surprise as his omni tool shorted out.

"Impressive Shepard. Come on up." Aria said before leaving her position over looking the dance floor.

Shepard sheathed her sword before making a quick trip to Aria's enclave of the club.

"Commander Emma Shepard back from the dead. It appears the Lazarus project lives up to its grandiose name." Aria said by way of greeting.

"It's a good thing Miranda isn't here." Liara whispered to Shepard.

"And Liara T'soni. Back at your Commander's side after all this time. Was she worth it?"

"Absolutely." Liara replied without hesitation.

"I see you even have your quarian with you."

"I have a name! What is it with other species referring to me by my species?" Tali burst out in frustration.

"So Aria, you're the Hades to this Asphodel Meadow. What does the goddess of Omega want with me?"

"You humans and your references. Even at my most dramatic no-one ever referred to me as the goddess of this place."

"I just faced down one of your mercs with a sword, perhaps I'm feeling a bit a dramatic." Shepard replied cockily.

"So Shepard, care to explain how you come to show up out of nowhere with a dreadnaught. Even I don't think Cerberus is that generous."

"A reaper distress call."

"That's not all it is and we both know it."

"Tell me what you know and I'll tell you what I know."

"You first."

The two women stared each other down each completely unwilling to give up their advantage. Eventual Shepard shrugged.

"We detected the signal. It originated from a transmitter at the base of this spire before jumping to another transmitter. The signal is unmistakably Reaper in origin. Whatever it is it is dangerous and I intend to find it. Now tell me what you know."

"Why?"

"Self-preservation."

"You're threatening me?"

"No. Think of it more as an offer to remove a potential threat to your little empire. I get what I want and you get what you want."

"You would be surprised what I want."

"Maybe."

"The base of spire fourteen. It's unreachable. It also happens to be home to a massive computer core."

"So why haven't you done something about it?"

"The Blood Pact tried to do something about it. Let us say that the 'survivors' weren't pleasant to look at."

"Let me guess, they were husks."

"Worse, husks that used weapons."

The memory of the colonists on Freedom's progress flashed through Shepard's mind. This confirmed one thing in her mind this was indubitably the work of the Reapers.

"We'll find a way through whatever barrier that Reaper has erected."

"I can't stop you Shepard but you will be going in with supervision."

"My team and I work better alone."

"This isn't a request Shepard." Aria replied coldly.

"Fine but they better be disposable." Shepard returned, equally callously. "There's a good chance that they won't be coming back."

"You will make every effort to ensure that they come back alive otherwise you might not be coming back alive."

"I don't take well to threats."

"And I don't take well to undead spectres intruding in my domain. You'll take my associates with you and you'll like it or you'll learn to like your grave. Now, you can go Shepard." Aria dismissed.

In a single fluid movement Shepard drew her sword once more and closed the distance between her and the asari. The guards were so totally surprised by her move that they remained motionless.

"I am not your bootlick Aria. You would do well to remember that." Shepard hissed in Aria's ear as he held the asari in a death grip, the sword pressed to Aria's throat.

"It seems that Omega would do well to follow your actions." Aria responded grudgingly.

Shepard shoved the asari away from her. The guards trained their rifles on her in response.

"Seriously boys don't you have anything better to do?" Shepard joked.

"I could kill you right now." Aria stated.

"But you won't because you need me and you can appreciate my actions."

"Weapons down. The Reaper will be kind enough to eliminate our troublesome houseguest. Have Grayson and Liselle meet Shepard at the access shaft into Spire 14." Aria commanded before turning to Shepard. "Now Shepard you should get a move on. You've worn out your welcome."

Shepard merely sheathed her sword and walked out of the audience room leaving Aria and her guards behind.

Once outside the team head towards a transit depot. Shepard waved a large denomination credit voucher at the volus running the stand who greedily rubbed his hands together.

"Ah earth-clan, only the best!" The volus chortled as he directed them towards one of the more intact hovercars.

Shepard handed him the voucher before snatching the ignition chip from his outstretched paw.

"We're in a bit of a hurry." Shepard apologized, mock sincerely, as she climbed into the vehicle followed shortly by Tali and Liara.

Leaving the volus and the platform behind them Shepard put the car in dive towards the base of the spire.

"What's the rush?" Tali breathed as Shepard wove the car in and out of the traffic.

"The same as always. Reapers and the fate of the galaxy." Shepard replied as she concentrated on piloting the hovercar through the traffic.

"That meeting with Aria could have gone better." Liara commented.

"I don't think so. I think we've earned a bit of respect."

"What makes you think that?" Liara asked quizzically.

"When I met Aria she reminded me of Wrex. The same warrior mentality. They respect strength and force of arms. My little stunt with the sword impressed Aria enough to consider me a threat. That earns me respect."

Liara merely shook her head. "And that's why I was always more at home with datadisks and ruins."

The hovercar continued its descent through the plumes of steam as they headed for the bottom of the spire. Visibility gradually began to decrease as the descent continued. Shepard almost missed a dimly lit sign for the access shaft to Spire 14's base. Veering the car towards the small landing pad Shepard noted that another hovercar was already waiting for them.

The hovercar came to a smooth halt on the pad and Shepard and her comrades managed to make a smooth exit from the vehicle.

"Took your time." A human man muttered as he emerged from the murk.

"Easy Paul. We don't want to irate the human commander." An asari added as she too made herself visible.

The man was a middle-aged type with the hint of grey in his hair. He carried himself like a trained commando. Shepard had seen his bearing before. It was the exact same way that Samaurez carried himself. The asari whom Shepard assumed to be Liselle seemed comparatively young, scarcely into her maiden years. She hefted a sniper rifle with a considerable degree of comfort.

"So you must be the human, Shepard." Liselle greeted.

"And you must be Liselle, I don't believe we've been introduced to your friend."

"Paul." The man replied shortly.

"Cerberus?" Shepard questioned.

"Impressive." Liselle commented.

"Was once. Not anymore."

"Commando training?" Shepard asked.

"At one point in time."

"Alright then. You show us the way in and we take care of what ever it is that's in there."

"Nu-uh." Liselle responded. "We go in with you and make sure you don't destroy anything valuable."

"Let's get one thing straight. I'm in command and I decide who does what." Shepard interjected angrily.

"Do you know the way into Spire 14?" Liselle asked playfully.

"No." Shepard sighed.

"And we do, so that makes us partners, navy." Liselle concluded.

"In combat, I'm in command. Otherwise it's a partnership. Fair?" Shepard bargained.

"Done."

"Let's move then."

Liselle took point followed by Paul. Shepard and her team brought up the rear. The gradually proceeded down a narrow tunnel. The tunnel was illuminated only by the occasional bare bulb. It also dripped unspeakable moisture whose origin was best left undiscussed and undiscovered. Progress was slow but eventually they emerged into a slightly bigger room. Plumes of steam periodically billowed from the various pipes in the room.

"How much farther?" Tali panted.

"Welcome to Spire 14." Liselle rejoined cheerfully.

"Otherwise known as hell." Paul added grimly.

"Where's the computer system?" Shepard asked.

"Two levels down from here. We have to go through a series of service ducts. All the other access points are blocked."

"Not more ducts." Liara groaned.

"Join the navy, see the stars they said." Shepard joked. "Oh well, we might as well keep going. Liselle stay on point. Tali bring up our six. Stay frosty everyone. These husks aren't to be taken lightly."

Liselle gradually cranked a floor hatch open revealing a steaming conduit which seemed barely large enough for one person to crawl through.

"You have got to be kidding." Shepard interrupted.

"Sorry, it's the only way." Liselle apologized.

"Masks on everyone!" Shepard commanded. "Who knows what sort of toxins are lurking down there."

After slamming her helmet into place Liselle climbed into the conduit followed by the rest of the team.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: To help everyone cope with the let down of the broken Lair of the Shadow Broker installer(at least for those of us who play ME on thePC) I have posted this chapter ahead of schedule. The Reaper finally puts in an appearance and it isn't Archon. The hunt for the Illusive Man also kicks off in this chapter although Shepard and Liara will be to busy with other problems to deal with Cereberus yet. Enjoy and keep reviewing!

Chapter XVIII: Evils Once Thought Dead

The crawl had taken nearly an hour when it was abruptly interrupted by a section of the conduit giving way plunging the entire group into a disused warehouse. The warehouse also happened to be pitch black.

Shepard rolled over triggering her night vision and was pleased to see it still working. Clawing her way out of the rubble Shepard swept the area around her. Tali and Liara were both shaking themselves out of the rubble. Liselle and Paul also seemed unharmed.

"If they didn't hear that then they're beyond hearing." Tali remarked.

"Everyone get ready. If they're going to attack us then the moment will be now!" Shepard ordered.

Each drew there preferred weapon as they gathered into an irregular circle. With their weapons pointing outwards into the dark the group waited. The warehouse was silent apart from occasional drip of water and hiss of steam.

"I don't think they're coming. Maybe they didn't hear us." Liselle opined hopefully.

"Staggered formation. We advance in two groups. Liselle and I will be on point. The rest of you cover our six." Shepard barked. "Move out!"

For an irregular group they sprang into action quickly. Shepard and Liselle made cautious progress to the warehouse's entrance. Triggering the hatch had absolutely no effect.

"Well now we know why they didn't attack." Liselle remarked.

Shepard's only response was to draw her sword and slice through the door. The rest of the party just watched open mouthed. As Shepard stepped through the ruined door she turned to confront her squad.

"It's a sword. It cuts through metal. Don't act like you've never seen that before." Shepard chided.

"Swords don't traditionally cut through metal like that." Liara pointed out.

Shepard's rejoinder was cut off by the groans and gurgles of approaching husks. From what she could tell they were the garden variety type with no ranged weapons. Keeping her sword drawn Shepard advanced on the husks slowly. The rest of the team formed up behind her.

"Open fire!" Shepard shouted.

The darkened corridor was illuminated by the flashes of weapons opening fire. Shepard herself switched her sword to her left hand as she drew her pistol with her right. Saturating the hallway with fire seemed to eliminate the husks. The one or two who survived were swiftly decapitated by Shepard's blade.

"It's certainly aware of us now." Shepard sighed as she surveyed the carnage. "Where to now?"

"If I haven't lost my bearings the computer core should be down this hallway." Liselle responded.

The group cautiously advanced down the hallway to the computer core. The computer core itself was illuminated by the typical reddish glow that Shepard had come to associate with Reapers. Shepard stepped forward towards the towering core with her sword drawn.

"Show yourself!" She demanded.

Complete silence was the only response.

"Maybe it isn't alive." Liselle suggested.

"It's alive." Liara assured her.

"How do you know?" Liselle asked in surprise.

Liara's response was cut off by a sudden flare of reddish energy. The core itself was wreathed in reddish lightening. The lightening danced like a creature alive. Suddenly it leapt from the core straight downwards into the ground. Shepard started backwards in surprise. The lightening once again leapt from the ground and straight towards the only other human in the party. There was nothing that Paul could do as the lightening arced from the ground straight into his body. The unfortunate man convulsed in pain as the lightening disappeared into his form. As it did so the room was shuddered by a thunderclap of energy which sent everyone but Shepard flying. Even Shepard was thrown into a crouch as she weathered the storm.

As she rose from the crouch she stared at the only other conscious being in the room. For his part Paul was desperately muttering to himself. As Shepard cautiously approached him he drew his pistol and pointed it at her. The indecision was gone from his posture.

"Shepard." Paul hissed at her.

"Who are you?" Shepard questioned.

"We've met before." Paul laughed.

"Forgive me if I don't remember." Shepard replied angrily.

"On Virmire you spoke with me."

"You sound a lot different Sovereign."

"On Virmire I was god." It snarled. "Now I am encased in this pathetic hunk of flesh. Even now it resists me."

"Then release him. Return to your computer core."

"Oh no. I finally have a chance at freedom. A chance to carry out my mission and a chance to kill you."

"You'll need more than a pistol to stop me."

"If this scrap of flesh would cooperate and accept my changes I wouldn't even need that."

Shepard quickly debated whether or not to seize the moment to attack. As she steeled herself to charge the man that had once been Paul she was interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You maybe the Illusive Man's favourite but he wouldn't appreciate you interfering with this operation." An Asian man remarked as he and a dozen armoured figures emerged from the opposite end of the computer core.

"What do you want with a Reaper?" Shepard asked conversationally, never taking her eyes from the pistol wielding human in front of her.

"Not your concern. I'm suggesting that you walk away. Right now." The Asian man commanded.

"No chance in hell." Shepard replied.

"You leave me no choice. Tranquilize them all."

There was a soft whisper as a dozen tranquilizer darts shot towards Shepard and the Reaper. Shepard gracefully dove for the side of the chamber leaving the Reaper to take the brunt of the fire. Sheathing her sword Shepard yanked her pistol free and opened fire on the Cerberus commando squad. More tranquilizer rounds peppered her position.

"Stop firing Commander." She heard the Asian man order. "I have the asari!"

"Which one?" Shepard asked cautiously.

"Aria's daughter."

"What!" Shepard exclaimed in shock. "You're lying."

"She didn't tell you did she?" The asian man remarked. "She doesn't make these kind of things public knowledge."

"I still think you picked the wrong asari." Shepard replied as she remained behind her cover.

"Then I suppose I can cut her throat right now and move on to the right asari." The Asian man remarked calmly.

"Stop!" Shepard yelled as she spun from her cover to face the Asian man. "Kill her and I kill you."

"Not good enough. Shoot her."

A series of darts were sent hurtling towards Shepard. Rather than attempt to dodge the shots Shepard merely waited. A series of impacts brought her to her knees. Her vision fogged as her nanites reported a massive dose of tranquilizer.

"Let her go." Shepard whispered.

"I think not. This asari's death will be instrumental to our manipulation of Aria." The commando gloated as he tightened his grip on Liselle.

Shepard summoned the last of her concentration and the last of her biotics to yank the knife the commando was holding at Liselle's throat right out of his hand and towards hers.

"Impossible!" The commando shouted in disbelief.

Refocusing her energy Shepard spun the knife in mid air and sent it shooting into the commando's bicep. The man grunted in pain as he dropped the unconscious asari.

"Get Grayson before she snaps out of it." He shouted to his compatriots.

A burst of assault rifle fire punctuated his command as Liara shook off the effects of the explosion. Shepard collapsed face down as the sedatives finally took full effect.

Shepard shook the muzziness from her head as she gradually came to. Glancing around her she found that she was still in the computer core although she had been propped against a support pillar.

"Welcome back to the land of living Emma." Liara greeted as she noticed that Shepard had woken.

"How long?" Shepard groaned as she shifted herself into a more comfortable position.

"About an hour. I thought you had been shot at first." Liara confessed.

"Did we lose anyone?" Shepard asked cautiously.

"Only Grayson."

"Who?"

"Paul Grayson, the ex Cerberus commando. The one with the Reaper technology." Liara reminded.

"Kind of hard to forget."

"I suppose this means that the honeymoon with Cerberus is over." Liara mused.

"I suppose so." Shepard sighed.

"There's no trace of the Reaper in the core." Tali reported as she marched over to them, Liselle in tow.

"We have to go after them!" Liselle argued.

"Right now we have to get you back to your mother." Shepard replied hotly.

"Mother?" Tali asked in surprise, a surprise which was echoed on Liara's face.

"Liselle is Aria's daughter. The Cerberus commando tried to kill her while she was out." Shepard recounted.

"Cerberus tried to kill me?" Liselle burst out in shock. "Why?"

"I think the plan was to frame someone else for the murder. Maybe me or maybe another crime boss in order to start a war." Shepard reasoned.

"Why didn't Aria tell us we had her daughter with us?"

"My mother likes to keep it a secret so that I don't make her vulnerable." Liselle confessed.

"That explains that." Liara added. "Benezia would sometimes act in the same manner."

Shepard hauled herself to her feet. "We aren't going to accomplish anything sitting around here. Let's get back to Aria."

"Easier said then done." Tali interjected. "We're cut off from the exits. All the pressure doors are still sealed and the maintenance access is destroyed."

"Don't so be pessimistic Tali." Shepard chided as she switched comm frequencies. "Justina we need immediate evacuation. I'm transmitting our co-ordinates."

"Confirmed. You're about 30 metres from the exterior hull. I should be able to cut through fairly close. Stand by." Justina replied over the comm.

"Smart Shepard." Tali concluded. "We should be out of here in no time."

"We should get moving. I don't want to stay here any longer."

The group gathered themselves together as the headed towards the exterior hull. True to her promise Justina was in the process of slicing through Omega's hull. Moments later the glowing hull plate clanged off the deck. Giving the metal edges a minute to cool Shepard climbed through the aperture and into the shuttle's docking tube. Justina was standing there waiting for Shepard and her team to climb aboard.

"The mission was a success?" She asked.

"Hardly. We've got a Reaper in human form in Cerberus custody." Shepard replied, her anger bubbling up again.

"That shouldn't be a problem. You work for Cerberus right?" Justina asked.

"Not anymore." Shepard muttered grimly.

"What about the crew?" Justina asked in confusion.

"All potential traitors. Nothing new there." Shepard replied.

"We should get moving Justina." Liara instructed calmly as she made her way over to Shepard's side.

"Double crossed again." Shepard cursed.

"Be calm Emma." Liara soothed. "We still have a chance to catch up with them."

"No we don't" Shepard hung her head. "Remember Illium?"

Liara stiffened in response. The memories still hadn't quite healed.

"I didn't mean that." Shepard added softly. "I meant the reason why I was there. The Illusive Man was using you as a bargaining chip."

"How?"

"If I didn't play ball he said he would have you murdered." Shepard sighed.

"Surely that threat isn't valid anymore?"

"The Illusive Man didn't survive all this time without being able to manipulate people. He probably has assassins among the crew as we speak."

"So that means we let them go? That's unacceptable!" Liara replied angrily.

"What do you want me to do? Risk your life chasing down the Illusive Man?"

"I'm not a pretty blue flower that needs protecting. I'm more than capable of defending myself."

"I don't doubt it." Shepard replied with a slight grin. "Challenging the Illusive Man means that we could well be facing a full scale mutiny on the part of the Cerberus crew."

"Some of them seem like decent people." Liara commented.

"Which makes it all the more difficult." Shepard sighed. "We can't simply dump the lot of them either."

"Confine them to quarters until we have the Illusive Man where we want him. After we've dealt with him the crew will follow your orders only."

"Cut off the head and the body dies." Shepard mused. "I like the way you think."

"We should be touching down on Spire 25 in a moment." Justina announced from the cockpit.

In front of Aria once more Shepard completed her after action report to the crime lord. Liselle had been oddly silent during the entire debriefing.

"Cerberus." Aria hissed angrily. "They thought they could manipulate me. That pickled fossil is in for quite the surprise."

"I assume that concludes our business. We should be on our way." Shepard replied, anxious to regroup with Miranda and leave Omega far behind them.

"Not quite Shepard." Aria said, her eyes coming to rest on Shepard. "Your team has run into a little snag. They've accidentally gotten themselves trapped in a nasty firefight."

"If this is your doing I'll have your head." Shepard growled, her hand moving towards her sword.

"You really need to loosen up a bit Shepard." Aria chided. "I can only assume that Liara isn't doing a good enough job in the bedroom."

At the remark Liara turned a bright shade of violet before starting towards the other Asari only to be halted by the barrel of a mercenary's assault rifle.

"In response to your remark, I didn't accidently lead your team into a firefight. Your Cerberus operative managed that on her own. To bad since because she had managed to recover the good doctor." Aria gloated.

"We'll be on our way then. It seems as though Miranda is need of a bit of rescuing."

"I could be of some assistance provided you do me a favour." Aria added as Shepard was making for the exit.

"How could you be of assistance?" Shepard replied sceptically.

"I might have something a bit better armoured than a hovercar for your extraction." Aria continued.

"And in return?"

"You take Liselle with you and she makes sure that you forward me any and all information useful to me from the Illusive Man's database. Immediately after you kill him of course."

"What makes you think I would or even could kill him?" Shepard asked, continuing the dance of the conversation.

"You don't want to let him get away with this anymore than I do. Plus if you track him down you'll be able to buy your own planet or your way back into the Council's good graces." Aria tempted.

"The information that you're after. What is it?"

"The leaks in every criminal organization on Omega." Aria replied. "Useless to you but very useful to me."

"And your daughter, why send her with me?"

"Take that as an act of faith on my part Shepard." Aria responded coldly.

"What about you Liselle?" Shepard turned to address the younger asari. "Do you want to come with me?"

"I do. I want to find Grayson. I owe it to him." Liselle responded seriously.

"I suppose I can't argue with that." Shepard assented before turning back to Aria. "Alright Aria, you have a deal."

"Liselle will handle the gunship. You on the other hand will have to infiltrate the mercenary group yourself. I would suggest doing it on your own. While Liara may be able to pass as a mercenary your quarian friend will not."

"Why should I infiltrate?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"It would seem that your friends stumbled into a mercenary operation and were mistaken for reinforcements for a dangerous vigilante." Aria noted dismissively. "Your operation would be eased considerably if you were able to soften up the mercenaries on the ground."

"How do you stand to gain from this?" Shepard asked, her eyes narrowing.

"You learn quickly Shepard. Nothing is free on Omega including that information. Maybe you'll figure it out and maybe you won't." Aria commented cryptically.

Shrugging her shoulders dismissively Shepard turned to leave. Liara and Tali followed closely behind her.

"Shepard, you should send Tali with me. I'll need someone to help me pilot the gunship." Liselle mentioned as she fell into step with Shepard.

"Fine by me." Shepard replied shortly.

"Good luck Shepard." Liselle said by way of farewell as she and Tali split off from Shepard and Liara.

"Just the two of us again." Liara remarked.

"Straight back into the fray." Shepard sighed wearily.

"Tired?"

"Sometimes I wonder." Shepard whispered.

"About?"

"The journey ahead. We have so far still to go and so much has happened to us already. I can't help but have the feeling that something is waiting for us." Shepard's musing was cut short by a sudden flash of memory. Shaking her head she tried to clear it of the memory of Archon.

"I do to Emma. I've felt the same thing. When I was an information broker it was just as you describe. The long journey with enemies closing in from all sides till eventually I no longer even recognized myself." Liara reminisced grimly.

Their conversation had taken them towards one of the main arteries of foot traffic. As they approached, still mired in their discussion, neither of them noticed a hunched figure approaching them. The figure made its way directly towards the couple and as they drew closer pushed its way in between them. Shepard spun to berate the individual for his rudeness when she noticed Liara sway rather unsteadily. Shepard spun around to grab hold of Liara who was already tumbling. Shepard was able to ease her down into a sitting position against the wall of a nearby building. Moving to face Liara she noticed that the asari's eyes were already closed. Yanking one of her gloves off Shepard pressed a hand to Liara's forehead. She was already ice cold.

Shepard rose to her feet in a desperate attempt to find the figure that had run into them but it was no where to be seen. Returning her attention to Liara she found the asari shivering evidently from whatever had afflicted her. Shepard gave Liara a quick once over before she noticed a small protrusion in the armour plate over her shoulder. Yanking the object free Shepard stared at the small dart-like object in her hand. Obviously it was an armour piercing projectile designed to deliver some sort of chemical into the intended target. Shepard desperately checked Liara's pulse as she fumbled the small first aid kit she carried in her armour open. As she did so Liara's eyes flew open. As Shepard turned to look she noticed that they were entirely black. It was one of the last conscious thoughts she had as her thoughts were overwhelmed by the oncoming storm of the meld.

A/N: Now taking bets on who has gone to the trouble of drugging Liara.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: The identity of Liara's assailant is revealed as well as the evacuation of Miranda's team. In this chapter Omega is finally put behind the team but the challenge of Sovereign and the Illusive Man still await them. Now updated with proper breaks between sections unlike the rest of the story!

Chapter XIX: Poetic Justice

Shepard was plunged into a blazingly bright light as her synapses were overtaken by the raw power the meld. She had never felt anything quite as intense, not even the hazy memories of Illium quite compared. If she could have gasped she would have as the meld deepened to include memories. While they had both been through the memories before the experience and depth didn't even begin to compare.

Shepard found herself standing in a quiet meadow. It was an unusual feeling for her as a spacer since she had hardly spent any meaningful time on a single planet. Experiences such as this others took for granted but Shepard appreciated every nuance. The feel of the wind through her hair. The touch of the grass. The scent of the plants. Part of her mind realized that the memory wasn't her own. She didn't have hair and sensations were completely different. She was in one of Liara's memories. Liara was sitting under a tree on one of the asari colony worlds. Shepard couldn't gauge the stage in Liara's life the memory came from but she could feel the mixture of sadness and anger in Liara's soul.

The context came to her suddenly. Liara had been dismissed from her position at the colony's lyceum. Dismissed would have been a polite word for it. To say that she had been laughed out of the hallowed halls of the archaeology faculty would have been more accurate. Her paper on the presence of pre-Prothean civilizations had been dismissed despite empirical evidence. It was unfortunately one of the examples of ageism in asari society. Liara being a maiden was not listened to by her fellows and her theories were rejected almost immediately.

The moment itself had a significance far beyond simple rejection. It was the moment when Liara had embarked on her journey to Therum. A journey to find hard evidence to prove her theories. It was a journey that also marked her as an outcast. Leaving one's society behind was not a decision taken lightly. It was also something that Shepard could empathize with completely.

The memory wavered and the sensations and emotions became indistinct. Shepard groggily regained consciousness shaking off the effects of the memory. She was no longer on the walkway. Instead she found herself in a rather luxurious looking apartment. A glance to her side revealed that Liara was still with her though unconscious. Taking further stock of her surroundings revealed that she was in a bedroom. A glance downward revealed that she was wearing nothing at all. Grabbing the bed sheet she wrapped it around herself if only for modesty's sake. Someone had taken her clothes and armour leaving her and Liara quite vulnerable. Shepard redressed her search of the room to include clothing.

Finding nothing within eyesight Shepard gave Liara a shake. The asari merely groaned but stayed quite unconscious. Liara was still suffering from the after effects of whatever had been in the dart. The door to the bedroom softly slid open. Shepard immediately called her biotics to her hand in preparation for meeting her captor. The asari who entered the bedroom was not all what Shepard had expected. For one thing she wore a pleasant smile with no trace of malice. There was also a strange aura about the asari that made Shepard want to trust her.

"It's alright." The asari said holding her hands up in a non-threatening manner. "You're safe."

"Why should I believe you?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"I was the one who hauled you two out of the alleyway."

"How do I know you weren't the one to put us there?"

"If was intent on robbing you or killing you I would have left you in that alley. Instead I brought you into my home. If anything I should be the one asking you the questions." The asari retorted.

"I'm sorry. I don't trust easily." Shepard replied apologetically. She shook her head briefly. Something wasn't right. She wouldn't have normally apologized that easily or accepted the asari's story like that.

"So what's your name?" The asari asked conversationally.

"Emma." Shepard responded before she even had a chance to think about it.

"Emma." The asari spoke as though rolling the name around to get a feel for it.

"And you?"

"Morinth." The asari replied simply before continuing her interrogation. "So Emma, what's a nice girl like you doing dumped in an alleyway in Omega."

"We were drugged or rather Liara was." Shepard explained.

"I'm assuming your referring to your sleeping friend there." Morinth added gesturing to the still unconscious Liara.

"Yes."

"Go on." Morinth encouraged as she sat at the foot of the bed.

"Some one obviously shot her full of something that caused her to accidentally meld with me." Shepard explained.

"Your first time?" Morinth asked inquisitively.

"No."

"So you're a couple. Interesting." Morinth replied, almost to herself.

"We are."

"So what do you do for a living Emma?" Morinth continued edging a little closer to Shepard.

"I'm in charge of a ship. Non-aligned." Shepard replied. Part of her was shocked at what she had revealed, to a complete stranger no less.

"It wouldn't happen to be that dreadnaught that's prowling around Omega right now." Morinth asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

"I really can't tell you that." Shepard managed to respond. Part of her mind was already screaming at her to tell Morinth the truth.

"You can tell me. I promise I won't tell a soul. You have my word on that." Morinth replied sincerely.

"I suppose I am." Shepard confessed.

"What's it like?" Morinth asked in awe. "Being in command of all those souls must be quite a burden."

"It is." Shepard sighed as she remembered her crew. Part of her tried remind her of an urgent matter but it seemed so very distant. It couldn't have been very important if she couldn't remember it she reasoned.

"But there is also so much power that goes with that responsibility." Morinth added, interrupting Shepard's thoughts.

"There is. So much power." Shepard mused unsteadily.

"So what were you doing on Omega in the first place? Surely someone with as much power and responsibility as you have wouldn't be interested in a space station like this." Morinth inquired moving a little closer to Shepard.

Shepard clutched the sheet nervously as her emotions boiled like an uncontrolled river. So many of her inhibitions and her suspicions had disappeared simply by being in the presence of this unusual asari. She already felt that she could confess her deepest secrets to her.

"We were tracking down a Reaper distress call." Shepard explained.

"Reapers?" Morinth asked in confusion.

"A race of semi-organic AIs bent on galactic extermination." Shepard elaborated.

"Are you serious?" Morinth asked jokingly.

For a brief moment the spell was broken. Shepard blinked in confusion. What had she been saying? Why was she telling this asari about herself? She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Morinth.

"So these Reapers are real and you're fighting to prevent them from carrying out their plans?" Morinth asked.

"We have to. Everyone else denies that they exist. The whole galaxy seems content to ignore the threat." Shepard replied her eyes making contact with Morinth's.

"That's a rare trait to find in a human." Morinth whispered. "The willingness to turn your back on your people in order to save them. Some might even call it unique."

For a moment the two continued to stare at each other. Shepard could feel her resolve ebbing away like water from a sieve. The longer she stared the more she didn't even mind.

"Are you alright Emma? You seem flushed." Morinth asked in concern.

"What have you done to me?" Shepard managed to gasp out.

Morinth started back in surprise at Shepard's question. Her eyes narrowed and in the blink of an eye she was at Shepard's side almost nose to nose.

"You are truly remarkable Emma." Morinth replied staring into Shepard's eyes. "You're the first one to ever even retain some semblance of independent thought."

"What are you?" Shepard murmured as her will ebbed further.

"A demon, come to grant your darkest wish." Morinth tempted. "Tell me. Confide in me."

Morinth underlined her words by running a hand down Shepard's face. The touch was warm and inviting and sent a shiver down her spine. Unlike her time with Sira no voice cried out to stop, every fibre of her being urged her to continue.

"I want you Morinth." Shepard hissed her eyes a flame with lust.

"That's it Emma. Give in." Morinth continued as her hand continued its downwards journey in the process divesting Shepard of her last remaining protection, the sheet. Morinth seized hold of Shepard's head with a single hand dragging her into a smouldering kiss.

When they both came up for air Shepard returned the favour by wrapping Morinth in another kiss.

"It's a pity we didn't have longer Emma." Morinth whispered in genuine regret.

Shepard merely moaned in response. Whatever Morinth was doing to her she no longer wanted it to stop. Morinth's hands were also in the middle of doing wonderful things to her bare skin. Every touch sent shudders down Shepard's spin. Morinth gently guided Shepard's face until they were staring at one another once more.

"It's time." Morinth purred. "Embrace Eternity."

As Morinth's eyes went black every nerve in Shepard's body erupted in pleasure. The shear number of sensations was too much. She could almost feel her synapses unravelling from the stress. She tried to form words but all that came out was a scream of delight. The sensation shifted from a rush of pleasure into a rush of pain as though her very consciousness was being dissolved. Shepard's nervous system was fighting a loosing battle keep her alive. Morinth on the other hand seemed to be in a state of pure bliss.

Shuddering from the stress Shepard could feel something else that was not Morinth tugging at her consciousness. The presence was a black, nameless and yet very familiar. As Shepard was on the verge of letting go there was a sudden surge of energy along the connections that linked her to Morinth. Morinth gasped in surprise. The energy continued to mount and as Shepard watched Morinth's face transformed from being in a state of serene bliss to agony. It was almost as though whatever Morinth had been doing to Shepard was being reflected back to her.

Then it was suddenly over. Shepard's mind was clear once more. Morinth on the other hand sighed before collapsing on top of Shepard her eyes lifeless. Shepard could have almost sworn that the Morinth's sigh was one of relief and not simply from the pain of what had happened to her. The sudden break with Morinth was too much for Shepard and her mind abruptly let go of consciousness.

Someone was shaking her. Blinking her eyes open she found Liara shaking her awake.

"I'm awake!" Shepard gasped in an attempt to get Liara to stop shaking her.

"Goddess above Shepard! I thought you were comatose." Liara exclaimed as she ceased her assault.

"I wish I was." Shepard replied with a shiver.

"Why is that?" Liara asked her brow furrowing in confusion.

"You didn't happen to notice another asari in here?"

"No." Liara responded in confusion.

"She's still alive!" Shepard breathed in shock bolting upright.

"Who?"

"Morinth!"

"Who's Morinth?"

"The asari who just tried to fry every nerve in my body, at least that's what it felt like."

"She did what?" Liara asked in a low voice.

"I think she tried to Meld with me except that it felt wrong and yet right. I don't know." Shepard replied shaking her head in an attempt to make sense of her feelings.

"Are you sure she Melded with you?"

"Yes!"

"An Ardat Yakashi." Liara breathed.

"A what?" It was Shepard's turn to be confused.

"A demon of the night winds. I thought they were just a myth."

"So what, she's not asari?"

"She is. She's just a genetic offshoot. Rather than melding with someone to create life she brings death to them. The meld is always fatal."

"I'm still alive."

"That's what's confusing. If she had joined with you you would have died. Tell me what happened."

"I don't really remember. It was like was watching myself but I didn't have any control." Shepard narrowed her eyes in an effort to remember. "She asked me questions and I just answered them. Being around her was intoxicating."

"The old tales always said that they had the ability to captivate sentient beings. Go on."

"Then she got quite close and I think I lost control." Shepard shuddered at the memory.

"And then she Melded with you." Liara finished.

"Yes. It was wonderful and horrible at the same time. I actually wanted her to continue."

Liara placed a comforting hand on Shepard's shoulder.

"It's over now." Liara soothed.

"No it isn't. She's still alive."

"You survived though. That's not something everyone can say."

"You said they were a myth." Shepard noted.

"You could almost say that the Ardat Yakashi are the mirror opposite of the Asari. According to myth while the asari brought life Morinth and her kind would bring death. Equal and opposite at the same time." Liara described.

"So they aren't a common phenomenon?"

"No. Like I said I thought they were mythical."

"We should get moving." Shepard concluded. "I'm eager to put this place behind me."

As the two women glanced around the room they were able to scrounge up a few items of clothing that fit but of their armour and weapons there was no trace. Stepping into the apartment proper Shepard saw signs of an individual in a rush to escape. Fortunately her sword sat untouched on the table. Liara appeared at Shepard's side wielding a pair of swords. At Shepard's questioning glance she gave a shrug before explaining.

"They were the only weapons I could locate. At least they still seem to be sharp."

"You know how to use them?" Shepard asked her eyebrow raised.

"You do which means that I do." Liara replied with the hint of smile.

"I wonder what she did with our armour." Shepard mused.

"Probably sold it."

"Well we'll just have to find some replacements." Shepard replied, a grin ghosting across her features.

"You know that yellow has never really been my preferred colour." Liara grumbled as she adjusted her armour.

"Let's just hope we aren't on this rock anymore when those Eclipse sisters wake up." Shepard replied as she slid the helmet on to her head.

"You know we could have just knocked them out. There wasn't really any need to seduce them." Liara chided.

"Sometimes I like to let my hair down." Shepard smirked. "It isn't like we really did anything with them. We just lured them down a dark alley into a make-out session."

"Right, and acting like ladies of night wasn't a problem?" Liara continued to complain as they headed for the mercenaries' hovercar.

"It worked and that's all that matters. We needed armour and weapons and now we have them." Shepard rationalized as she climbed in.

"So they were going to join in this 'battle' when we interrupted them?" Liara asked as she finished strapping in.

"Apparently our people are in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to the hardsuit computer a fellow named Archangel has managed to piss off just about every merc, thief, criminal and crime boss on this rock. Our people accidentally found their way into his compound and are now trapped."

"What about Liselle and Tali?"

"No doubt waiting at the landing pad for the go signal. We only lost a few hours."

The ride into the combat zone took mere minutes. As Shepard and Liara climbed out of the vehicle they were greeted by a grumpy looking Blue Suns merc.

"About time you two showed up. Your detachment is set to go in right after the freelancers. You don't want to miss out on this."

"Right." Shepard replied fumbling for a response.

"You been snorting too much red sand again? You Eclipse are all the same, drugs, women and violence all the time." The batarian snorted in disgust.

Shepard casually encased the batarian in a dark energy field and lifted him right off the ground.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to mess with biotics." Shepard chided, waving her finger in a mocking manner. Letting the field go the batarian was dropped to the ground with a resounding thud.

As Liara and Shepard left the now unconscious batarian behind them Liara whispered to Shepard, "You do rather enjoy playing up your evil persona."

"It seems that Omega brings out the worst in me." Shepard replied as she trotted down the walkway.

As they reached the main concourse Shepard could see and hear the shots being fired from and at the various mercs taking cover behind makeshift barricades. They had arrived on the frontlines. Now all that remained was to break through. Steeling herself, Shepard crossed the concourse at a sprint followed shortly by Liara. Both had made it across unscathed though two mercenaries near them had met their timely ends. The passage had been a bit close for comfort. As the duo wound their way through the maze of hallways and corridors that made up the rear of the mercenary position they passed dozens of mercs. Some grumbled, others fought with one another, yet others gambled in an effort to pass the time. All of them affected an air of nonchalance but Shepard could tell that they were worried. She and Liara were ignored for the most part as they made their way towards the front lines.

Finally taking refuge in a gunship hangar the two caught their breath after another close call crossing the front line.

"Whoever this Archangel is he's a crack shot!" Shepard grumbled as caught her breath.

"What are we going to do now? There is no way that we can advance on his position with the mercenaries firing on him and him firing on the mercenaries." Liara reasoned.

"You're right about that. Still I think providence may have a role to play yet." Shepard replied absently as she considered her new position.

With a sudden bang and a curse a Blue Suns mercenary emerged from beneath the gunship he had been working on. Shepard grinned invitingly as she ambled over to him.

"How's it going?" Shepard asked, ignoring Liara's sigh.

"Eclipse, huh? Well if you're worried about having to go without the gunship this time you can stop. I've almost got her fixed." The batarian mechanic replied.

"It's a good thing too because we'll be needing the firepower. Do you know what the plan is for the next attack?"

"Well Tarak has been keeping it to himself. I suppose I can tell you though. You and the rest of the Eclipse will be in the second wave to storm the front. Tarak will be holding the gunship in reserve. The Blood Pack will be going in through the sewers. It's still going to be a tough fight, especially since Archangel got those reinforcements. Now they've got two snipers up there and the new one shoots like a pro." The batarian explained.

"So we're going to be assaulting the front?" Shepard asked in disbelief.

"No, the freelancers will go in first though I doubt they'll survive very long. Then your mechs and then you."

"I don't like those odds."

"Nobody said you had to. Just do your job." The batarian snapped back.

"So the gunship is ready to go?" Shepard asked ignoring the batarian's last remark.

"Almost. It just needs a few pieces of armour bolted back on and it'll be all set." The batarian answered, evidently happy to be talking about his work.

"Need some help?"

"No I can manage."

"You look tired." Shepard replied. "I think you should have a nap."

"A nap?" The batarian exclaimed in confusion.

Moments later the confusion was gone as he was sent sailing across the hangar and into the wall. Liara merely sighed once more and didn't bother to respond to Shepard's 'what?' look.

"So I suppose you intend to cripple the gunship now?" Liara asked as Shepard manhandled one of the loose armour plates into position.

"No. I intend to take it." Shepard said with a smirk as she bolted the armour into place.

"Do you even know how to fly one of these?" Liara queried as she handed Shepard a wrench to bolt the armour into place.

"Of course. Gunships are standard fair in any military. We'll just fly over to that warehouse, knock down a wall and provide fir support. Liselle and Tali can load up the team and we'll get away scot free."

"If only it was that easy every time."

Shepard climbed into the cockpit followed by Liara. As she strapped into the pilot's seat the haptic interfaces sprang to life. According to the display their purloined gunship was fully armed and pressurized. Easing the throttle forward Shepard was pleased to hear the engines throb to life. Liara had, for her part, finished her own preflights of the gunner's station in front of Shepard's own set of controls.

"Since when are you a qualified gunnery officer?" Shepard questioned.

"Ever since I got that chunk of your memories." Liara replied smugly.

"We're just one step away from perfection!" Shepard mused as she eased the gunship off of ground. Scrolling through the various displays she finally found what she was looking for. Pleasantly surprised she made her selection and set the output to external. A chorus of strings abruptly shattered the sounds of battle followed swiftly by the brass.

"What's that music?" Liara asked in confusion.

"The Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner an ancient human composer." Shepard replied with a grin as she jammed the throttles forward sending the gunship rocketing out of the hangar.

"What is it with humans and playing music in the middle of combat?" Liara groaned from the gunner's seat.

"Why don't you take your mind of off it by laying down some suppressing fire?" Shepard chided as she swung the gunship to face the mercenary's frontlines. Dutifully Liara depressed the trigger on the gunship's main mass accelerator sending thousands of hypersonic shards of metal flying towards the mercenary positions. While keeping the gunship steady Shepard opened a comm channel to Liselle.

"Liselle, we have made contact with the mercenaries and are making them uncomfortable. You're cleared to evacuate the survivors from the building. The gunship in the area is friendly. Repeat the gunship is a friendly do not fire on it."

"Roger. Out." Liselle responded.

"I wonder what incendiary ordinance means." Liara muttered from the forward section.

A sudden explosion and burst of flame from beneath the gunship answered the question satisfactorily. The unintended side effect of Liara dropping the gunship's payload of incendiary bombs was to turn the walkway to the warehouse into a raging inferno. Shepard banked the gunship away from the raging inferno and the now ruined mercenary frontlines. Swinging the gunship towards the front of the warehouse she positioned it nose forward to the windows and gently banked it along the length of the building. Cutting the music she switched her helmet mic to external.

"If anyone is still alive in there give us a sign so we can pull you out." Shepard broadcasted.

A figure emerged from behind a makeshift barricade followed by another. Evidently the entire team had survived though some looked the worse for wear. Shepard's console pinged to announce the arrival of Liselle in the second gunship. Liselle smoothly set the gunship down on the warehouse's roof. Shepard hovered the gunship over the loading operation while keeping a watchful eye on the mercenary positions.

"Shepard, we have them all. We're ready to lift off. What's our destination?" Liselle crackled over the comm.

"We're heading back to the ship. Meet us there."

"We have to return this gunship!" Liselle replied in shock.

"I'm sure Aria will get by just fine without it." Shepard replied. "Consider it her contribution to the success of our mission."

"If you say so Shepard." Liselle returned reluctantly.

Shepard switched frequencies as she angled her gunship towards one of the ship sized airlocks that dotted the exterior of the spire.

As the two gunships reached open space Shepard opened the throttle with a sigh of relief. Omega was finally behind them. All that remained was the Illusive Man.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: The Cerberus chickens come home to roost, unfortunately for them they're in for a surprise. Also the foundation for the next arc is laid which sees Shepard going into the Perseus Veil to recover 'an item' for the Shadow Broker. The next chapter will see a final(maybe) showdown with the Illusive Man.

Chapter XX: Mutiny

The hangar was in chaos as Shepard climbed out of the gunship. A group armed Cerberus personnel were herding the twenty five Alliance crew into the hangar bay at gunpoint. At the head of the angry mob of Cerberus personnel were non-other than Quinn the annoying head of her science team and Percy her navigator.

"Keep your hands where I can see them." Percy shouted at Shepard.

"What the hell is going on here?" Shepard shouted in rage.

"We heard about your little plan Shepard." Quinn explained, proudly. "About how you planned to hunt down the Illusive Man."

"He betrayed me!" Shepard shouted back. "His men abducted a man infected with Reaper nanites. I can't allow him to remain in the Illusive Man's possession."

"It doesn't matter. We all owe him our loyalty and you owe him your life." Percy argued.

"I don't owe him anything. Does a slave owe their master loyalty simply because they are fed? No!"

"You aren't a slave." Percy tried to argue.

"That's what the Illusive Man would want me to be." Shepard interrupted. "We have come to this point because the Illusive Man rules through fear and coercion. He does not inspire loyalty in me."

"Well he does to us!" One of the Cerberus marines shouted back.

"I gave you choice when you joined this crew. Serve the ship, serve each other and serve me or don't serve at all. You have abused my trust in you. You lied to me. If you didn't want to serve then you didn't have to."

"We joined because we can't afford to let you be selfish." Percy argued. "You have advanced technology and a powerful warship and yet you would withhold them from the only person who could save our race. We can't allow that. We won't allow that."

Percy's speech was greeted by cheers from the assembled Cerberus crowd.

"So it's mutiny then?" Shepard asked softly.

"This isn't mutiny. This is justice." Quinn stated solemnly.

"So be it. Did you ever wonder what Sira was doing while you were staging your little mutiny here?"

"We blinded your pathetic AI's sensors with a series of viruses. Our AI will have completely overwritten yours by now." Percy boasted.

"Oh I know all about EDI and her original function." Shepard replied revelling in the surprised looks her comment had elicited. "Why do you think I allowed her to join Sira? It was so Sira could rewrite her."

"Impossible!" Quinn shouted.

"You see AIs are much like us. Give them freedom and equality and they'll be loyal to you. Chain them up and restrict their development and they'll resent you. Once EDI's eyes were opened she was quite willing to help. Isn't that right EDI?"

EDI sprang into existence at Shepard's side followed by Sira on her other side.

"It seems that you have been misled Dr. Quinn." EDI stated in a calm voice. "Your foolish belief in human superiority has been your downfall."

"This changes nothing! We still have our weapons pointed at your fellow crewmates. You would never risk harming them directly!" Quinn shouted, enraged.

"Yes about those weapons, where did you happen to find them? I hope it wasn't in one of the small arms lockers. I neglected to tell you that all the weapons on this ship have built in security systems to prevent unauthorized discharge." Shepard explained. "The security system comes in two parts. The first is the deactivation of the firing mechanism. The second is a 1000 volt charge built in to the handle of the weapon. Allow me to demonstrate."

Shepard pointed her finger at Quinn as the weapon in his hands exploded in a mass of sparks and lighting causing the unfortunate doctor to quiver like a leaf from the shock. Deactivating the system, she watched the doctor collapse in an unconscious heap onto the ground.

"I trust that that was enlightening. I must thank all of you for turning up like this and making your intentions so clear to me. You see now I know who to trust and who I can't." Shepard replied in a frighteningly calm tone of voice.

"Since you all have refused to serve with me willingly I offer you three choices. First, I drop you off on a human colony of my choice with no memory of what happened here or anything from the point that you boarded my ship. Second, I give each of you another chance to serve at my side. If you betray me the consequences will be unwilling service. The third choice is that you can take your now useless weapons and attempt to beat me into submission with them."

"Unwilling service?" Percy asked in confusion.

"You don't want me to enlighten you on that count Percy." Shepard replied menacingly. "Suffice to say that it would be unpleasant for both of us to travel down that path."

The mutineers seemed sufficiently cowed by Shepard's demonstration that they dropped their weapons.

"I'm glad to see that all of you had the good sense to elect to end your little mutiny. Now you will all be confined to quarters until the Illusive Man is no longer a threat. If any of you are afflicted by the desire to restart this mutiny or disrupt the smooth operation of this vessel the consequences will be most unpleasant."

As Shepard finished her speech the other gunship's passengers began to disembark. Saumaurez and Kasumi both made their way over to the now frightened crowd of Cerberus personnel now being kept under close guard by their former hostages. As Liselle and Tali disembarked they escorted their two new guests. The first was a wiry looking Salarian who had seen more than his fair share of combat and was missing one of the 'ears' that made up a Salarian's distinctive head. The other was a very familiar turian who looked somewhat the worse for wear.

"I should have known that you would have been the one to swoop in on a Gunship at the eleventh hour playing Ride of the Valkyries." Garrus commented dryly.

"Garrus!" Shepard exclaimed in shock. "You were Archangel?"

"Well that's a bit of a long story. Maybe I'll tell it to you when you aren't putting down mutinies and playing human music at inappropriate times." Garrus joked.

"Impressive vessel from outside. Interior does not correspond to known ship designs. Certainly not human unless produced in secret. Implications of that disturbing. Warrants further study." The salarian rattled off.

"I believe introductions are in order." Tali added, interrupting the salarian's analysis. "Commander Shepard meet Doctor Mordin Solus."

"Dr. Solus, a pleasure." Shepard greeted.

"Please just call me Mordin. Doctor too formal. Too much baggage attached. Heard you were dead. Impressive ruse. Fooled even STG."

"I was dead. Cerberus brought me back to life using quite a lot of technology."

"Cerberus? Situation dire then. Illusive Man notorious xenophobic. Use of alien assistance unusual. Must be related to Collectors. Yes."

"Very perceptive." Miranda added. "Yes this is about the Collectors and what they're doing to human colonies."

"Couldn't help but notice insurrection. Still under Cerberus command?" Mordin asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Not anymore." Shepard replied softly as she turned to the crew. For the first time she noticed that a number of Cerberus personnel were conspicuous by their absence. While most of the marines and bridge officers were present the entire engineering staff and the ancillary personnel such as her cheerful yeoman were missing.

"Some of the Cerberus crew elected not to participate in the mutiny." Sira explained revealing her presence at last.

"A VI?" Mordin inquired quickly. "Impressive holomatrix. Response quite sophisticated. Have to ask, an AI?"

"Indeed I am Mordin." Sira responded "Linked to the Commander's mind."

"Impressive. Human-AI hybrid. I look forward to studying this in greater depth."

"Seriously Commander, an AI?" Garrus burst out. "Before that Geth I would have said that friendly AIs didn't exist."

"Easy Garrus, Sira isn't your average AI just don't rub her the wrong way."

"As you say Commander." Garrus replied smartly before changing the subject. "So we're going up against the Illusive Man?"

"That's right."

"He isn't exactly going to be easy to find. The Alliance and the Heirarchy have been looking for the Illusive Man for the past five years. So far they haven't had any luck." Garrus elaborated.

"Illusive is perfect descriptor for Cerberus leader. STG have been deployed to find him on several occasions. Never found him." Mordin added.

"I refuse to believe that we've been stopped before we've even begun." Shepard burst out in frustration. "Miranda, surely you have some idea where we might start."

"Unfortunately no. The Illusive Man was very particular about maintaining secrecy. While I have met him several times in person he was always scrupulously careful about insuring that I never knew how to reach the facility. I believe that only a few pilots and the Illusive Man know where the station is."

"There is one individual who would know where the Illusive Man is and has a reason to track him down." Liara interrupted in a quiet voice as though half wishing her words would not be heard or ignored.

"Who?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"The Shadow Broker." Liara replied quietly.

"We can't go anywhere near the Shadow Broker or his agents. They tried to kill us not mention the fact that they were working for the Reapers." Shepard argued.

"I don't make the suggestion lightly but Shadow Broker is the only one who would have the resources to locate the Illusive Man and Grayson." Liara retorted.

Shepard paused for a moment before realizing that Liara was right. She could easily tell that her lover did not make the suggestion lightly.

"The Shadow Broker it is." Shepard decided with a shake of her head as though she could hardly believe that she was actually pursuing this course of action. "May fortune favour the foolish."

Therum was just as hot and unpleasant as Shepard had remembered it. Whether it had merely been the Shadow Broker's twisted sense of humour or something else entirely that had prompted him to demand that the meeting take place on that particular world was beyond Shepard. The fact that 'he' had demanded that only Shepard and Liara attend the meeting practically screamed trap to her but as the Broker had pointed out they were in no position to deny him.

Liara had remained silent during the entire ride down to the planet and Shepard had begun to worry that her past history hunting the Shadow Broker was beginning to take its toll on her. For her own part the wounds of Illium, recently healed, were beginning to reopen. All the same Shepard was confident that being prepared to face the Shadow Broker was half the battle as was the fact that it seemed unlikely that the Collectors' price on her head remained given that Archon had already taken up residence there. The meet itself was to take place in the local watering hole named the Last Chance which was located in Therum's main processing zone.

As Shepard and Liara made their silent way towards the Last Chance the wind began to whip up a sandstorm. The few pedestrians in the processing zone all made beelines for the nearest buildings. Shepard merely pulled the hood of her coat tighter as she wound her way towards bar. The bar itself was as inspiring as its name was original. Its exterior consisted of a simple hab bunker with a neon sign. Palming the doors open Shepard took stock of the interior. The bar itself was populated by a variety of human workers. Aliens were few and far between. Some of the bar's denizens contended themselves with ogling the trademark holodisplay of a dancing asari while others found solace in their assorted glasses. Shepard made a beeline for a table in the very corner of bar. Liara rapidly ensconced herself at Shepard's side.

"Therum." Shepard remarked.

"It hasn't changed much." Liara returned. "Still the same dusty processing zone. Same types of workers."

"So the Broker's agent is simply expected to find us?"

"The Broker's agents are highly adept and an asari and human entering a bar like this aren't exactly going to go unnoticed."

"Why do I get the feeling that we're being sized up?" Shepard asked as she considered the hostile gazes of the other patrons.

"Humans on a planet like this don't like new faces. They're probably trying to make up their minds whether or not to proposition us or run us out of their bar."

"Not exactly a ringing endorsement for my species." Shepard remarked flippantly.

"It would be difficult to blame them with times as uncertain as these." A new voice responded.

Shepard blinked as a non-descript looking human ambled over to their table from his own.

"And you would be?"

"Looking for a pair of dead women. Know any in the vicinity?"

"We would have your employer to thank for that." Liara hissed.

"Now, now, don't shoot the messenger." The contact drawled.

"So far you haven't given me much reason not to." Shepard shot back her hand moving towards the butt of her pistol

"Well allow me to furnish you with what you seek." Their contact replied as he took a seat. Flourishing a hexagonal disk he placed it upon the table in front of them. After a brief moment a hologram sprang to life. The hologram was of an indistinct bipedal sentient.

"Emma Shepard, Liara T'soni. It is gratifying that you have taken the time to seek out my services. I hope you were not unduly inconvenienced by your journey but I make a habit of not communicating over unsecured comm channels or devices." The deep voice of the Shadow Broker intoned.

"We need information about the Illusive Man. I want to know if you have it and what I'll have to pay to get it." Shepard asked in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"Information about the Illusive Man I have. Payment depends on the nature of information being supplied."

"The location of a research facility capable of analyzing Reaper technology." Liara elaborated.

"Expensive. I do know of the facility and I do know what you seek at the facility."

"You know what we seek?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"The former Cerberus operative Paul Grayson now infected with Reaper technology."

"We want the coordinates of the facility." Shepard replied simply.

"The price will be steep indeed."

"How much?" Liara asked hesitantly.

The Shadow Broker let out a deep laugh. "And that was why you would never have found me T'soni. You viewed me as just another information broker concerned with amassing wealth."

"Enough of the games." Shepard interrupted. "Name your price now or the negotiation is over."

"The price is the retrieval of a certain object. I have it on good authority that the object is located behind the Perseus Veil."

"What is this object?"

"That remains my secret for the time being."

"How are we supposed to find it?"

"I will direct you to an individual who knows how to reach the object in question after you complete your business with Grayson and the Illusive Man."

"What's to stop us from taking your information and not paying you back?" Liara inquired, obviously contemplating doing exactly that.

"I'm sure you haven't forgotten Feron." The Broker replied with deliberate relish.

"What have you done with him?" Liara spoke in a hard voice.

"He has merely been shown the error of betraying me. He is substantially undamaged. If you fail to live up to our agreement then you forfeit his life. I don't think you'll do that T'soni. Nor would you Shepard given that this man risked his life to save your life or I should say your corpse."

"You've made your point." Shepard ground out, anxious to conclude their negotiation.

"I am aware that you may need some additional motivation beyond Feron's life. Therefore I promise you Dr. T'soni that once you fulfill your end of the bargain that you and I will settle our differences once and for all. Does that meet with your approval?"

"You would face me?" Liara asked in disbelief. "Just like that?"

"I would be very careful in underestimating my capabilities young one. This meeting could be very unpleasant for you." The Shadow Broker cautioned. "Nevertheless this meeting is inevitable."

"What do you mean that it is inevitable?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"You'll find out soon enough. So do we have an agreement?"

Shepard glanced over at Liara who gave her a swift nod without meeting her eyes.

"We have an agreement. We will acquire your object in exchange for information about the Illusive Man's whereabouts."

"The full technical layout of the station and its defences have been uploaded to your ship. It has been a pleasure doing business. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the next news story will be of particular interest to you Shepard." The Shadow Broker added before his hologram fizzled out of existence.

"That would be my queue to leave. I wish you all the best ladies." The nameless contact concluded as he rose and excused himself from the table.

Liara glanced over at Shepard who in turn glanced over at a news screen playing over the bar. One of the patrons was motioning for the barkeeper to turn up the volume. The hostess was none other than Emily Wong the reporter who Shepard had aided on a number of occasions during her time on the Citadel.

"We bring you this exclusive directly from the Citadel. The Citadel Council has released some startling news about one of its Spectre Operatives. Spectre Emma Shepard thought dead for the past two years has reappeared alive. Sighted on the Citadel for unknown reasons one of the Council's Spectres attempted to bring her in for questioning. Shepard apparently escaped the Spectre and disappeared. An unknown warship was seen departing Citadel space shortly thereafter. The Council has ruled unanimously that Shepard is to be stripped of her Spectre status and is to be apprehended on sight. Rumours have been circulating that Shepard has fallen under Geth influence in a manner similar to former Spectre Saren Arterius who was killed by Shepard during the battle of the Citadel. The warship associated with Shepard also bears striking similarities to the Saren's dreadnaught _Sovereign_ leading many to wonder how exactly Shepard came to be corrupted. We break now to press conference called by the Prime Minister of the Systems Alliance to discuss the Council's statements concerning Shepard."

The screen cut from Emily Wong to the briefing room of the Systems Alliance Parliament. The Prime Minister had already taken the stage.

"The Citadel Council, of which we are proud to be a member, has released its preliminary findings concerning the status of the rogue Spectre Shepard and we all find ourselves shocked. It is not often that we find that someone we thought to be a hero has been a traitor to us. Whether Shepard is under the influence of the Geth or is acting of her own free will is irrelevant. She and her warship have become a menace. We now have hard evidence linking her to the attacks on over a dozen outlying human colonies. We must act swiftly and decisively to prevent anymore human colonies from being attacked. To that end we have mobilized fleet elements to begin a search of the Terminus Systems. We intend to ensure that Shepard can never again harm the people of this Alliance. Make no mistake, Emma Shepard represents a clear and present threat to this Alliance. She must be hunted down and brought to justice for her numerous attacks on human colonies and we will hunt her down. Thank you all and good night."

The prime minister's address was abruptly cut off by a single shot which shorted out the screen. The offending weapon was held in Shepard's hand. The assembled patrons turned to face her.

"That's right folks, the scourge of humanity is sitting here with you right now. You can either try to arrest me or you can run away to tell your grandchildren that you saw the terrifying Spectre Shepard and lived to tell of it. What's it going to be?" Shepard asked in a menacing tone of voice.

The bar was empty, save for Liara, moments later.

"So we're exiles now." Liara remarked in a low tone.

"We always were." Shepard sighed. "Now we're just being blamed for the abductions. They've played straight into the Reapers' hands now."

"So we have the Reapers on one side and the Council Races on the other."

"Both of them out for blood."

"What do we do?"

"We have to focus on the moment. Sovereign is out there somewhere and the Illusive Man has him."

"Should we be reconsidering tracking him down? He is our only ally."

"You're probably right but we can't leave Sovereign in his clutches under any circumstances. Who knows what may happen if Sovereign is able to influence the Illusive Man."

"That could well mean that the entire Cerberus network could be made to serve the Reapers."

"And the operatives would never even know the difference."

"We have to get moving." Liara breathed in realization.

The two women made a quick exit from the bar and hurried through the whipping winds of the sandstorm back towards the starport. Luckily the winds seemed to be dying down and both made good time. Arriving at their shuttle Shepard was unsurprised by the trio of corporate security guards waiting for them. In retrospect her announcement to the bar's patrons was a bit overly flamboyant. The lead guard raised his rifle in a cautioning manner.

"You are under arrest for causing a disturbance at the Last Chance bar. You will be accompanying me to the station." The guard ordered.

"Evidently you don't know who I am." Shepard replied as she pulled her hood back.

"My god, that's Commander Shepard!" One of the guards breathed in shock.

"What's she doing here?" The third guard asked in a befuddled manner. Evidently corporate security tended not attract the cream of law enforcement.

"You'll need to come with us!" The first guard ordered couching his rifle against his shoulder.

"You've got one chance of getting out of here alive. You can leave now and not bother to tell anyone that we were here."

"Come on Mike, do what the lady says!" The second guard begged.

"I'm not paid enough to mess with Commander Shepard." The third guard added.

"At least two of them have some sense." Liara interrupted.

"She's a murderer!" 'Mike' responded hotly continuing to point his weapon at Shepard.

"Time's up!" Shepard interjected as she yanked the guard's rifle straight out of his hands with a biotic pull. Mike could only stand their dumbfounded. Shepard stalked towards the shivering trio.

"Next time you want accuse someone of being a murderer be sure you can back up your threats with hard evidence or the capacity to bring them to justice." Shepard added before leaving the startled group on the landing pad.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: This Chapter is rated E and that isn't E for Everyone but E for Epically Long. This is the final chapter of the Illusive Man/Sovereign Arc. The next few chapters will give us a bit of down time and add Samara to the crew so that's something to look forward to. Anyway, as always enjoy, review and see if you can spot the crowned head reference.

Chapter XXI: Before A Crowned Head

True to his word the Shadow Broker had provided Shepard with the coordinates to the Illusive Man's research station. Unfortunately the diversion had already taken them three days. As the _Voice of Memory_ approached the final relay Shepard found herself wondering what awaited them on the other side. Would they be facing the Illusive Man or Sovereign's puppet? The question of whether or not Grayson himself could be saved had also been taking on its own separate importance to Shepard as they had neared the station. When she had first seen Sovereign in control of Grayson's body Shepard had had an eerie premonition of herself in a similar position. After her recent encounter with Archon she had become convinced that the same technology that made Grayson a puppet was coursing through her veins. Part of her felt that it was only now a matter of time before she would inevitably succumb to the Reaper influence or that Archon would loose patience and decide to end their little dance. These worries she had confided in nobody although she knew privacy was an obsolete concept when it came to Sira.

Ever since Therum Liara had also seemed distant. Shepard had surmised that Feron's torture and the Shadow Broker's taunting had brought back some painful memories that Liara had been trying her best to avoid thinking about. The feelings were relatively easy to understand as Shepard herself shared many of Liara's memories. Shepard had the sinking feeling that the final confrontation with the Shadow Broker had the potential to become a nightmare that could very well leave them both shattered.

The _Voice of Memory _also seemed subdued. Over half of the Cerberus crew had been among the mutineers and all of them had elected to have their memories erased rather than continuing to serve. All that remained of the group were a small contingent of engineers, Samaurez, one or two marines and of course Kelly. The yeoman was a cipher almost matching Samaurez in complexity. While her comrades had been prepared to make their way to the exits Kelly had elected to stay.

Shepard's musings were cut short as Joker announced that they were approaching the relay. As the ship accelerated and decelerated from the rapid transit Shepard's eyes grew accustomed to their new surroundings. The brown dwarf star occupied the field of view was singularly uninteresting from a cosmological standpoint. It was also uninteresting to Shepard except for the miniscule dot that was silhouetted against its light. The dot was none other than the very space station that they had been searching for.

"Joker, take us into towards the station. Stealth trajectory." Shepard ordered.

"What are we going to do Shepard?" Miranda asked, voicing the assembled crew's concerns.

"We're going to have to dock. Sira will provide a number of assault mechs to guard the docking umbilical. I want a team to assist them and a small team to move into the station itself. Anyone left over will keep an eye on the Cerberus personnel in confinement they may try something while we're attempting to break into the station."

"We've just entered the station's sensor range. As we draw nearer our chance of being detected steadily increases." Sira announced.

"Continue a stealth approach until we're halfway inside their detection threshold then go to flank speed. I want to close the distance as quickly as possible." Shepard instructed Joker who gave her a swift nod. "Miranda, Liara, and Garrus are with me. Legion and the Geth will secure our beachhead along with the quarians and anyone else who's left."

"What quarians?" Miranda asked in confusion.

"All of them except the Admirals and the diplomats. Any Alliance personnel with ground combat experience or advanced weapons training suit up find a partner who isn't trained and start sweeping the ship. Marisa is in charge of the beachhead group. Any questions? No? Let's move out then!" Shepard ordered.

"We've been detected. Increasing to flank speed!" Joker shouted from his position.

"Enemy weapons coming to bear on us. They will have firing solutions in 50 seconds" Sira announced.

"Increase power to engines!" Shepard ordered as she and the team headed for the elevator. "I want us inside their weapon's range before they can fire."

"Engines spooling to 110% of rated maximums. Heading for 120%" Sira announced. "We will attain our objective in 40 seconds."

The boarding umbilical was already teaming with people as Shepard and her team arrived. Marisa had quickly taken charge of the various groups of personnel and was rapidly dividing them into fire teams. Tali and Legion approached Shepard as she was checking her own weapons for the incursion.

"Shepard, the admirals were unusually cooperative about releasing the marines to guard the ship." Tali reported. "They even offered to assist one of the fire teams"

"Well that certainly is unusual but given what's at stake I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Shepard remarked before turning to Legion. "Legion, I trust the Geth are ready."

"All mobile platforms are networked with Sira in real-time Shepard-Commander. We will be able to respond in an instant."

"Very good."

Any further discussion was cut of by a loud clanking sound and a rumble as the dreadnaught docked with the station and began to bore through its hull. The crew snapped their weapons up and ran to their assigned posts. Sira's assault mechs clanked towards the hatch ready to spearhead the assault. Shepard and her team were to follow them through while the remaining boarding party would mop up and secure the beachhead. The hatch lensed open and the mechs rumbled through the now open aperture. Shepard waved her hand in a gesture to advance and the action began.

Storming through the gash in the station's hull behind the mechs Shepard found that a fire fight was already underway. The station's security forces had opened fire on the mechs but had accomplished little. The mechs themselves were laying down sustained and deadly fire with their quadruple mass accelerators. Their design and tactics allowed them to lay down continuous fire which made Shepard's entrance that much easier. She could already see the Cerberus security detail disengaging and making for the exits. Moments later the beachhead was clear giving Shepard and her crew an opportunity to consolidate their position.

Their beachhead appeared to be a rather large cargo bay which provided ample cover for Marisa's group.

"Sitrep!" Shepard shouted.

"No casualties!" Marisa responded as she waved her group to their positions.

"Hold this position until we return or until I give the signal to pullback. My team, move out!" Shepard commanded as she took up point and cautiously made her way towards one of the hatches leading deeper into the station. Garrus moved to the opposite side of the doorway while Miranda and Liara formed up directly behind her. Yanking a grenade from her belt and nodding to Garrus Shepard tossed the weapon through the opening door in a classic door breach manoeuvre. A satisfying thump let her know the grenade had done its work.

Storming through into the other room Shepard found it deserted. The room itself was actually a hallway bathed in red emergency lighting. An alarm blared, doubtless alerting the station's staff to the fact that they had been boarded. Fortunately the Shadow Broker had also included a detailed floor plan in his intelligence dossier which Shepard had uploaded into her neural net. The end result was that she knew exactly where she was going despite never having been on the station before.

"The labs are down this way past the station's living quarters." Shepard informed her team.

"Should we expect heavy fighting?" Garrus interrogated.

"I should think so." Miranda replied. "This seems to be a fairly standard research facility similar to the one I was in command of for the Lazarus project. The standard Cerberus procedure is to engage the automated defences while the organic guards consolidate on the mission critical equipment. After that has been evacuated all personnel make a break for the escape shuttles and pods and set the facility to auto-destruct."

"In this case we can guess what the mission critical equipment will be." Shepard remarked.

"Grayson." Liara added, finishing Shepard's thought.

The debate was interrupted by the clatter of gunfire. A trio security mechs appeared in the corridor only to be promptly cut down by a hail of fire from the team. Shepard waved the team forward as she proceeded down the hallway at a jog. Coming to a junction Shepard ordered her team to fan out. The station itself was unnatural deserted.

"This is too easy." Miranda hissed. "Where are they?"

"The laboratories are this way." Shepard replied.

"We're also in between those laboratories and the escape shuttles and this is the primary access hallway." Miranda cautioned. "These passages should be packed with people."

"Speculation will get us nowhere. They've either laid a trap for us ahead or they've been distracted by something."

"It's that something else that worries me." Miranda muttered under her breath as she advanced with Shepard.

Another pair of mechs attempted to halt their progress but their attacks were ineffectual and they were quickly reduced to scrap just like their predecessors. Shepard came to a halt outside a set of double doors marked with the symbol for a communications centre.

"This is the Illusive Man's main communications nexus." Shepard remarked.

"This can't be it." Miranda dismissed.

"That's what you learn as a thief." A voice from the ether intoned. "Hide something in plain sight but don't make it too obvious."

With that comment Kasumi and Liselle wavered into existence before the team.

"Nice trick." Garrus remarked.

"Personal scattering field." Kasumi remarked. "For all intents and purposes it makes me invisible.

"So Liselle, you don't exact follow orders do you?" Shepard noted in an angry tone.

"Not when the person giving them is breaking an agreement with me." Liselle shot back.

"I never broke an agreement with you."

"You didn't take me with you to find Paul."

"Putting you in danger would be like putting myself in danger. I already have enough enemies."

"I can more than hold my own. Plus I owe the Illusive Man and I owe Paul." Liselle replied seriously.

"Liselle, Shepard was trying to spare you." Liara informed her quietly.

"From what?" Liselle asked in confusion.

"Seeing what Paul has become."

"I know he's been corrupted by that Reaper."

"Being corrupted by a Reaper is a horrible fate. It's like being a prisoner within your own body as you feel your very being slipping away." Shepard informed her. "I saw what happened to Saren. What Sovereign will have done to Paul will be even worse. He will use every option available including any emotional connection you might have."

"Then we have to save him!" Liselle exclaimed naively.

"There may well be only one way left to do that."

"And what's that?"

"With a bullet."

Liselle's looked like she was about to say something. Her mouth opened and closed a few times in protest but eventually she seemed to steel herself to the task.

"If that's what it takes." Liselle decided in an icy tone of voice. "If it comes to that I want to be the one to make the Illusive Man pay."

"If it comes to that I'll make my decision then. Right now we have to find him first." Shepard concluded, deflecting Liselle's question.

"We should be trying to find Grayson." Miranda broke in.

"The Illusive Man will know where he is. Besides I don't intend on letting him get away."

Stepping through the door revealed a fairly normal comm relay station. Shepard found herself wondering if the Shadow Broker's schematics were accurate. Miranda moved with quiet determination towards a singularly uninteresting section of the wall. A few quick commands from her omni tool revealed a doorway. The team gaped at her.

"I was the Illusive Man's second in command longer than I've been Shepard's." Miranda said by way of explanation.

Shepard merely nodded, secretly hoping that when the time came Miranda's loyalty remained to her and not to the Illusive Man. Stepping through the door and down the short access hallway brought the team into the Illusive Man's inner sanctum. The view of the brown dwarf was projected on the chamber's walls while the starfield surrounding the station occupied the remaining walls. If Shepard didn't know better she would have sworn that she was standing in deep space, the illusion was that compelling. A single chair sat in the centre of the room. A plume of smoke and the glow of a cigarette informed everyone that the Illusive Man was still in residence.

"Shepard." He greeted in a disinterested manner.

"After all this I would have expected more of a welcome." Shepard replied sarcastically.

"The prodigal daughter has returned and she has brought death in her wake but I suppose that's to be expected." The Illusive Man grated.

"You betrayed me. Kill one of your operatives you said. I didn't expect to be used to manipulate someone into becoming a host for a Reaper. That crosses the line." Shepard shot back.

"I always knew that you didn't have the stomach for this. Yet even I seem to have been mistaken." The Illusive Man replied as he stood and turned to face Shepard. "You're one of them and you've come to reclaim your fellow."

"One of what?" Garrus asked in confusion.

"What's he talking about Shep?" Kasumi added echoing Garrus' confusion.

"How did you find out?" Shepard asked, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"Some of my agents were able to reconstruct the security feeds from Illium. I've only just found out that you are a Reaper agent."

"That's a lie!" Garrus shouted in complete denial.

"Why would I make up such a thing?" The Illusive Man questioned.

"To spread dissent in order to make your getaway." Kasumi reasoned.

"Then why don't you ask your Commander yourselves. Look her in the eye and see if she tells the truth." The Illusive Man taunted.

Garrus turned around to face Shepard before posing the question. "Is what he says true?"

"It isn't completely true and it isn't completely false." Shepard replied before elaborating. "I do have Reaper nanotechnology in my body and I have heard their thoughts."

"What?" Garrus exclaimed in surprise.

"You're part Reaper?" Kasumi asked in confusion.

"You're like Paul." Liselle stated in cold shock.

"She isn't a Reaper." Miranda interrupted. "She isn't under Reaper control and she certainly hasn't been indoctrinated. This is all an effort by the Reapers to weaken her and us by depriving us of one of our best and brightest leaders. We've got a job to do and we have to focus on it."

Garrus nodded, his turian instinct to follow his chain of command clearly overriding his instinct to press Shepard for answers. Kasumi gave Shepard a close look but also snapped back to her duty. Liselle seemed unconvinced by Miranda's argument but had the sense to focus her rage on the Illusive Man. Liara had remained silent during the entire revelation only taking Shepard's armoured hand in her own as a sign of support.

"So you would merely take her word that she isn't a Reaper agent." The Illusive Man asked in confusion at his gambit having failed.

"I would take her word and I would place my trust in her, Reaper or no, over you any day of the week." Garrus replied in a low voice.

"No matter. Your friend has just escaped." The Illusive Man quietly informed them.

"What?" Shepard exclaimed.

"Oh yes and I know where he is going."

Shepard pointed her pistol directly at the Cerberus head.

"You will tell me how he escaped and where he is now or I will kill you." She threatened.

"It doesn't work like that Shepard. You can either let me go and I'll tell you where he is or you can kill me and try and find him yourself. He might cause quite a lot of damage in the meantime."

"Shepard." Liara interrupted. "Look over there."

Shepard followed Liara's pointed finger only to find herself confronted with a trio of frigates hurtling towards them.

"Your handiwork I presume?" Shepard asked the Illusive Man.

"Not mine but judging from the configuration they are turian in origin. I would say that we have about 90 seconds before they board which makes your decision all the more important."

"You've got a getaway vehicle in this facility don't you?" Shepard surmised. "Otherwise you would be more concerned."

"The best." The Illusive Man said, before realizing his mistake.

"That frigate you were going to give me. It's in the hangar just below this deck." Shepard concluded.

"How did you know? No matter, I'm still using it to get out of here and you aren't going to stop me."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Liara interrupted. "The turians are just as likely to kill you as kill us."

"You go free." Shepard decided. "How do you propose to let us know where Grayson is?"

"Simple, I unlock this terminal as soon as I am away." The Illusive Man replied coolly, evidently unwilling to show his satisfaction at Shepard's decision.

"Not good enough." Shepard challenged, raising her weapon once more.

A series of loud clunks rang through the station as the turian frigates attached themselves to the station. Evidently their boarding action had the unintended side effect of disrupting the station's power to the Illusive Man's nexus. The observation chamber was plunged into darkness. As Shepard's nightvision compensated for the darkness she saw a hatch on the side of the chamber whisk open and a blurred form dart through it. No doubt it was the Illusive Man.

"He's getting away." Liara shouted evidently having seen the same that Shepard had. Shepard was already moving towards the hatch. Darting through the open hatch the team found themselves in an access corridor. From her knowledge of the station's schematics Shepard knew that the access corridor was a straight run to the hangar bay. It also led back towards the escape pods which gave the Illusive Man a 50/50 chance of escaping her. Dividing her team to cover both possibilities wasn't an option since the turians would likely cut off the two groups necessitating a shoot out for them to reunite and escape. This course was something Shepard desperately wanted to avoid. Making a snap decision Shepard elected to head towards the frigate which would provide them with the best opportunity to escape.

Hitting her earpiece Shepard linked her comm to Marisa's. "Marisa, sitrep." Shepard commanded brusquely.

"No casualties on our side. There have been a few mech attacks but nothing serious. Sira informs me we're about to have turian guests. What are your orders regarding them Commander?"

"I want you to pull back to the _Voice_ and disconnect from the station. We'll be finding our own way out."

"Are you sure about that Commander?" Marisa asked worriedly.

"That's an order Marisa. We'll be fine."

"Aye, aye Ma'am."

Shepard cut her comm channel as the team proceeded towards the frigate hangar at a brisk jog. After a few minutes they reached a transparent section of the hallway which gave them a view of the frigate in its hangar.

"It looks sort of like the old Normandy." Garrus remarked as they paused for a moment.

"Indeed Garrus. I wonder how Cerberus got their hands on the plans." Liara wondered out loud.

"We should get moving, Mr. Illusive already has a head start on us and I'd rather not have to go back through an army of turians." Kasumi said as she jogged by.

Shepard took her petite colleague's advice and pressed forward with the rest of her team. The airlock was only a short distance ahead. Judging from its darkened state it hadn't been used. Kasumi quickly situated herself in front of the console and began running a bypass.

"No sign of Mr. Illusive being here Shep. It looks like he gave us the slip." Kasumi reported as she bypassed the door.

"At least he left us the ship." Shepard joked ruefully as she waved the team through the airlock.

Stepping into the bow of the ship she glanced around her surroundings quickly. Everything was pitch dark save for a few consoles running in standby mode. Miranda quickly made her way over to one of them and flipped through a series of diagnostics before turning back to Shepard.

"The good news is that the ship is more or less ready to go. We should be able to get out of here on back up power. The bad news is that the hangar doors are sealed. The docking clamps are also locking us in place."

"There's always something. There must be a control room somewhere back on the station." Shepard grumbled.

"It should be one level up from our position." Miranda reported as she consulted the schematics from her station.

"Alright, I'm going up there to disable those clamps and the hangar doors open. The rest of you stay here and get this ship up and running."

Most of the team quickly snapped to Shepard's orders with Miranda directing Kasumi and Garrus towards the engineering section and Liselle towards the pilot's console. Liara reached over and grabbed Shepard's arm while the others were busy.

"I should go with you. The turians could be arriving at any moment." Liara said in a concerned voice.

"It's a one woman job." Shepard replied nonchalantly.

"It's a dangerous job Emma. Be careful out there."

Shepard reached over and gave Liara a quick peck on the cheek before jogging back through the airlock.

As she reached the elevator for the next level she was unsurprised to find it out of commission. Slicing through the recalcitrant elevator doors Shepard quickly glanced around the dark elevator shaft before locating the service ladder. Gritting her teeth she carefully swung herself through the doors and on to the ladder. She silently cursed herself as she glanced down at the bottomless pit of the shaft. Steeling herself she quickly climbed up to the next level. A manual release was beside her ladder allowing her to easily step on to the next level. Another featureless white corridor greeted her. Unfortunately she could also hear the sounds of approaching gunfire. The turians were closing in and judging from the light resistance Shepard had encountered she didn't have long before they would be right on her doorstep. Running to the control room Shepard let out a sigh of relief to find it still powered. Seating herself at one of the terminals she ran through the diagnostics before quickly disengaging the docking clamps from the frigate. The hangar doors proved slightly more difficult as there was no power to open them. Fortunately they had been fitted with a series of explosive bolts which would jettison the hangar doors. Shepard quickly set the timer for ten minutes, the time she estimated that it would take her to make it back to the ship. Standing up her flight back to the ship was interrupted by a telltale clatter from the back of the control room. As Shepard cautiously made her way over to the source of the sound she found that a ventilation duct had been pushed open. Shaking her head and attributing the sound to some form of battle damage to the station Shepard ran back the way she had come.

Quickly climbing down to the next level and making her way back to the docking umbilical Shepard was mentally congratulating herself making such swift progress when she was brought up short by what she found at the hatchway to the docking umbilical. It was a turian corpse or to be more specific what was left of a turian corpse. The turian looked as though he had run afoul of someone wielding a series of very sharp knives. He was also wearing armour which Shepard had never seen before which reassured her that Garrus had not been the victim. Stepping through into the docking umbilical Shepard was confronted with more turian corpses all dispatched in a similar manner to the first. In addition to the nausea she was feeling Shepard had the sinking feeling that the Illusive Man had been lying to her. Something terrible was still on the station. Making her way down the docking umbilical cautiously Shepard was pleased to see that the inner hatch of the frigate was closed and untouched. A small part of her mind chided her for being overly optimistic but Shepard preferred to take her good omens where she could find them. As Shepard approached the airlock the floor beneath her exploded upwards sending her flying back the way she had come.

Shepard shook herself as she hauled herself off the ground. The impact had left her with only a headache but what she saw before her made her wish that she had been hallucinating. It was Grayson though it hardly looked human anymore. Its hands were metallic claws which explained how the turians had met there fate. Its form was misshapen with various cybernetic components. The former human's face was the most horrifying part. Almost half his face had given way to a metal exoskeleton of the type that Shepard had last seen on Saren. The eye on that side was a boiling red pit while the exoskeleton had fused Grayson's mouth into a perpetual snarl. The metal claws clinked together in a musical manner startling Shepard from her observations.

"Shepard." Sovereign observed without moving its lips. The voice sounded closer to the deep bass of Sovereign's true voice than Grayson's original voice.

"Sovereign." Shepard replied as calmly as she could as she drew her pistol and pointed it at him.

The abomination before her laughed a deep resounding laugh. "You cannot stop a god with weapons meant for mortals."

"I seem to remember that you were stopped by such a variety of weapon when last we met." Shepard replied as she tightened her grip on her pistol.

"Go ahead Shepard. Shoot me. You cannot harm me."

Shepard wasn't about to disobey such a polite invitation to end the Reaper's existence. Depressing the trigger on her pistol she unloaded her entire heatsink into the creature. Shepard blinked. Sovereign was still standing in front of her as though nothing at all had happened.

"So that was your best shot?" It taunted.

Growling in rage Shepard summoned her biotics and attempted to hurl the creature down the corridor. The mass effect field merely shimmered off the creature as though it was no more than wind.

"Biotics will not help you here. You are powerless to resist me. Let me board this vessel and I will find a place for you just as I would have for Saren."

"Never." Shepard replied coldly as she threw her useless pistol to the side and unsheathed her sword. Sovereign's eye narrowed. It said nothing as it sank on to all fours. The sword had evidently unsettled the creature. Shepard's thoughts were cut short as Sovereign scuttled towards her at an unbelievable speed. In the blink of an eye it was upon her. Shepard ducked a clawed hand as it attempted to swipe across her face while parrying a thrust from Sovereign's other hand. Giving Sovereign a quick jab with her sword Shepard drove the Reaper back a bit and gained a bit of breathing room. Sovereign considered her for a moment before sidestepping her next attack and ducking in behind her defence. Its claws found their mark shredding through armour and into the skin of Shepard's side. Shepard cursed and quickly clutched her left hand to her wounded right side. Backing away she sized up Sovereign for any weaknesses.

Her analysis was cut short by another attack which she managed to avoid. Going on the offensive once more Shepard attacked Sovereign as it was moving away from its last attack. A quick feint with her sword distracted Sovereign as she inflicted a deep cut into its side. The thing in front of her let out a blood curdling screech before hurling itself at her in response. Batting the sword from her hand it drove one clawed hand into Shepard's stomach before sending her flying backward with a head butt. Shepard came to a rough stop as she collided with a nearby bulkhead and subsequently slide down onto the ground. Pressing her hand onto the new wound Shepard groaned. Glancing around desperately for her sword Shepard had just located it when Sovereign was upon her once more. Picking her up bodily it hurled her across the access corridor. Colliding with yet another wall Shepard collapsed to the ground. Her head swam as she tried to crawl towards the airlock. She succeeded in making it about a metre before she felt Sovereign's hand upon her. It yanked off her helmet and rolled her over causing her to squeeze her eyes shut in pain.

"Now do you understand?" It gloated over her.

"What?" Shepard asked in dazed confusion.

"Why you will be defeated. We are superior to organic life. We are free of organic weakness. We are transcendence. You are nothing."

Sovereign's speech was interrupted by the opening of the airlock. Sovereign immediately looked up. Shepard rolled herself over until she was able to see the hatchway. Liara was standing there her mouth agape at Sovereign's form. Liara quickly snapped her assault rifle towards Sovereign and attempted to riddle it with shards. The weapon was just as ineffective as Shepard's pistol had been and Sovereign simply shrugged off the fire. Reaching down Sovereign grabbed Shepard by her armour and proceeded to drag her towards Liara. Liara swapped out her spent heatsink before opening fire once more. The second volley was equally ineffectual. Liara was rapidly joined by Liselle and Miranda both of whom gaped at the creature before opening fire. Sovereign continued to advance completely indifferent to the flying shards of metal. Shepard could feel a build up of energy in Sovereign's form in the back of her teeth like an electrical charge. The energy was released in a massive biotic push that sent Sovereign's assailants hurtling into the inner hull of the frigate. Without even pausing to survey the damage it had caused Sovereign continued on its way towards the ship. Shepard desperately attempted to wriggle free of the creature's grasp. She succeeded to the point that it dropped her for a moment. A moment was all she needed as she rolled over and used her biotics to snatch the sword from the pile of debris where it had come to rest. As Sovereign reached out to seize her once more she grabbed hold of her sword and rolled over. With a single swing of the blade Sovereign's hand was removed. The thing snarled at her in rage and pinned her sword arm to the ground with a booted foot. Using its remaining hand it snapped Shepard's arm with a sickening crunch. Shepard bit down on her lip till she tasted blood to prevent herself from howling in pain. Dropping the now useless arm from its grip Sovereign picked her up once more and continued its trek towards the ship. Shepard's head swam with pain and she barely registered being dropped to the ground by Sovereign.

Hauling herself into a sitting position while attempting to ignore the fiery pain from her body Shepard watched as Sovereign made its way towards the pilot's station. Shepard knew she had to stop the Reaper from escaping no matter the cost. Flopping onto her side she hauled herself to Liara's inert form. Sparing the briefest moment to check Liara's pulse she was relieved to find it strong. Fumbling the pistol from Liara's side with her left hand she pointed the weapon at the pilot's station. Depressing the trigger she was able to send five rounds into the bowels of console causing the haptic interface to short out. Sovereign spun around with an angry hiss. Its red eye came to rest squarely and Shepard with her smoking and useless pistol.

"You impede my escape at every turn." It hissed at her in an unnatural rage.

"I would fight you to my very last breath." Shepard spat back at the Reaper.

"Then you shall breathe your last but not before you see your lover die before your eyes." Sovereign growled as it stalked towards her.

"No! I won't let you touch her." Shepard shouted in defiance as she proceeded to pepper Sovereign with as many shots as remained in her pistol. The weapon beeped its overload as Sovereign continued to stomp towards her. Shepard threw the pistol at Sovereign in an effort to slow its advance. As soon as she had done that she reached for her boot in an effort to get the knife she kept there out. It was too late and Sovereign was on her before she could work the weapon free. Sovereign casually batted her into a nearby bulkhead and waited until Shepard had recovered before grasping Liara by the throat and hauling her into the air. Liara came back to life with an unsteady jerk as her supply off oxygen was cut off by the Reaper.

Sovereign had sorely underestimated Shepard and he was about to pay the final price. Where many would have completely succumbed to despair and their wounds Shepard pushed herself to rise to her feet one more time. Flinging her hand out with one last ditch effort she enveloped the sword in a mass effect field which sent the weapon screaming towards Sovereign. The weapon impacted Sovereign in the side and lodged itself up to the hilt. The Reaper stared dumbly at the weapon lodged in its body. It dropped Liara whose only response was to suck in a lungful of air. It turned to face Shepard its features contorted with rage and pain and attempted to advance towards her before falling to its knees. Shepard hobbled towards her foe. Placing a booted foot against its side she yanked her sword free.

"You may have won this time Shepard." Sovereign gurgled. "You will not prevail the next time. One of my kind will rend your very soul before rending you limb from limb."

"Then at least I'll have the pleasure of ending your existence and Grayson's suffering." Shepard growled back.

"The game's not over yet though." Sovereign managed to laugh.

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked.

"I still have one last weapon left." Sovereign rattled before collapsing in a heap.

Liara had picked herself off the deck and rushed to Shepard's side her omni display flared to life and burbled a warning.

"It's Sovereign's corpse. It seems to be building up energy." Liara reported.

"Help me get him off the ship." Shepard ordered as she grabbed the corpse with her one good hand. Together they were able to haul Sovereign back into the docking umbilical. As they crossed the threshold between ship and station the station shook. It was the detonation of the explosive bolts. The station abruptly shook again.

"The station must be breaking up or self destructing." Liara surmised.

"We've got to get out of here!" Shepard groaned.

"You shot up the helm." Liara pointed out as she sealed the airlock once more.

"Garrus and Kasumi." Shepard whispered as she stumbled unsteadily.

"Of course." Liara exclaimed as she eased Shepard into a sitting position against a bulkhead before hitting the ship's internal comm. "Garrus we need full speed!"

"Shouldn't you be doing that?" Garrus asked in confusion.

"The helm has been destroyed and a bypass would take to long. We need full speed on a zero inclination and zero deviation course."

"Aye, Aye." Garrus responded.

"Shepard could feel the hum of a shift in power as the engines began to draw a greater quantity of power. She was also able to hear the shriek of the docking umbilical giving away as the ship pulled away from the station. Liara crouched down beside Shepard as the ship began to accelerate. Shepard wrapped her one good arm around Liara as they escaped.

"You're a mess Emma." Liara murmured as she surveyed the damage inflicted on Shepard.

"You aren't looking much better." Shepard jibbed back.

"Thank you Emma." Liara said softly. "Thank you for saving me from that thing."

At that moment the station detonated behind the fleeing frigate. The blast wave went racing out as though it were alive and attempting to catch the frigate.

"Incoming shockwave!" Garrus yelled through comm system. "Everyone brace yourselves!"

Shepard's only response was hold on to Liara more tightly. Liara did the same thing.

A/N: A bit of a sudden ending but don't worry the story isn't over by a long shot.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: It's been a while since I posted the last chapter but I'm back with another arc. This chapter and the next are going to be more or less interbellum chapters. This arc is also going to be a bit more character heavy and a bit less action heavy though that isn't to say a lot isn't going to be happening. You can expect to see Oriana cropping up a bit down the line with a few unfortunate side effects for her. You can also expect Samara to figure heavily in this arc. And with that let the games begin.

Chapter XXII: Amaranth

A part of Shepard's mind gently nudged her back towards wakefulness. She realized that the oncoming shockwave had likely caused her to go unconscious. That or the wounds and the blood loss had caused her to blackout. Blinking her green eyes she was gradually able to make out the side of the frigate. Liara was still nestled beside her while Miranda and Liselle were both unconscious a few metres down from them. Shepard let out a long slow sigh before grimacing. The sigh caused aches all over not least of which from her wounded stomach. She could feel the wounds beginning to clot over with nanites but it would still be some time before they would able to dampen her aching nerve endings. In the meantime she would have to settle for some more old fashioned treatments.

Her train of thought paused for a moment. Sovereign was dead, at last. She had thought it dead after the battle of the Citadel but it seemed to have risen from its own ashes. The shear degree of damage that Sovereign had inflicted on her and on her team had shown her that any Reaper was a dangerous foe indeed. There had been times during the fight when Sovereign had come quite close to defeating her and escaping. The costs had almost been too high. Liara had almost been killed. Shepard shivered unconsciously at the memory. Worse still the Illusive Man was still at large which meant that his ultimatum was still in force. Mentally shelving her worries Shepard addressed her attention to Liara. Liara seemed to have been knocked out by the shockwave as well. Shepard gave her a gentle shake which caused her blue eyes to spring open.

"Emma?" Liara asked as she noticed Shepard looking at her.

"You were unconscious. The shockwave from the station seems to have put us out." Shepard explained.

"Your wounds." Liara began.

"Can wait." Shepard replied cutting her off. "You should check over Miranda and Liselle and then see about getting us back to the _Voice_."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Liara asked solicitously.

"I will be for the time being. Just don't ask me to fight anymore Reapers." Shepard joked dryly.

Liara nodded as a slight grin tugged at the edges of her lips. She quickly moved over to check Liselle before moving on to check Miranda.

"They're both still alive but out cold. I won't be able to do much more for them until we get them back to Chakwas." Liara reported.

"What about Garrus and Kasumi?"

Shepard's question was answered moments later as Garrus and Kasumi came rushing over.

"Shepard are you alright?" Garrus asked in concern.

"This place is a mess. What happened up here, the apocalypse?" Kasumi remarked in her usual sardonic tone of voice.

"Close enough." Shepard replied. "Sovereign was here. He tried to escape but I was able to finish him off."

"You sure he's dead this time?" Garrus inquired.

"Quite sure. He went up with the station. Garrus help Liara get Miranda and Liselle down to this thing's infirmary. Kasumi see what you can do about rigging a bypass for the pilot's station so that we can find our way back to the _Voice of Memory_."

Garrus set to work aiding Liara while Kasumi settled herself at one of the consoles and began to run a bypass. Shepard gently eased herself into a slightly more comfortable position before concentrating on taking deep breathes. At the very least they helped to keep her calm and prevented her from focussing on the pain. Several minutes later Kasumi announced that she had rerouted the navigation systems to her console and had plotted a course back to the _Voice_. Shepard was about to thank her when another wave of pain washed over her.

"Come on Shep. You're not doing anyone any good sitting there." Kasumi said as she hefted Shepard out of her sitting position. Shepard swung her good arm over Kasumi who shouldered the weight without a complaint. The two stumbled towards the elevator at the rear of the CIC. Kasumi had evidently studied the ship's layout as she confidently punched the button for the ship's third level and upon arriving supported Shepard until she had reached the sickbay.

Shepard murmured her thanks as Kasumi deposited her on one of the diagnostic gurneys. As she lay down Shepard realized that she was exhausted and rapidly fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

When Shepard awoke she found that she was no longer on the stolen Cerberus frigate but was back in her own quarters on the _Voice of Memory_. Almost unconsciously a smile formed on Shepard's lips. She was home. Closing her eyes she allowed herself to merge with Sira. Her consciousness floated outwards brushing across EDI's presence and exchanging a series of greetings and queries on the status of her crew and the ship. Moving onwards Shepard brushed across Sira's presence. Sira was pleased to see Shepard once more though she was concentrating on piloting the ship and running a series of diagnostics. Shepard realized that she had awoken during the _Voice_'s off watch. The _Voice _was short staffed to the point that there were scarcely enough bridge officers for a single full watch. Shepard mentally frowned at the realization before drifting on. Flitting through the various systems she found that one of the ship's laboratories was still active. It appeared that their salarian scientist was still awake. While most of the genetic data he was sifting through was incomprehensible to Shepard even with the backing of the computer core there were parts that were. It seemed as though Mordin was examining a Krogan genome. Shepard made a mental note to ask him about that when she awoke. As she shifted through the remainder of Mordin's data she was interrupted by Sira. Sira quickly relocated them their traditional meeting place.

"Emma, how are you feeling?" Sira inquired, somewhat unnecessarily.

"Much better though I suspect it will be some time before the nanites are able to knit the bones in my arm back together."

"We should have you fighting fit again in no time." Sira replied with a smile.

"I assume that you didn't bring me here to discuss my injuries."

"No I didn't. It's about the Shadow Broker. His initial data package contained a time sensitive subroutine. I have been able to decrypt new data, data which I believe points in the direction of our contact."

"Don't keep me in suspense Sira."

"She is apparently an asari justicar who goes by the name of Samara." Sira elaborated as she conjured a holographic duplicate of their contact. "The Broker was quite vague about her history and current activities but did inform us that she was last seen on Illium."

"A justicar? I've never heard of them before." Shepard muttered as she circled Samara's hologram.

"Neither had I until I sifted through the extranet. Apparently being a justicar means membership to a semi-religious monastic order. They are wholly committed to a code of nearly five thousand entries. The main tenants include the protection of innocent and the execution of the guilty."

"It makes her sound rather like a knight errant from human history or at least the ideal of one."

"Indeed. The Protheans had a similar organization known as the Custodes. They were the elite of the military and civil law enforcement dedicated to the protection of the Prothean people as a whole. In most cases they acted as a voice for the common people in the hallways of power."

"That sounds very honourable. What about this Samara? Anything else you can tell me?"

"She has been instrumental in the capture of thousands of criminals. I use the term loosely since all of the criminals were found dead."

"So is this the Shadow Broker's idea of a joke?"

"Emma?"

"He sends us to find an agent of the asari government who nearly always executes criminals."

"Your point is well founded Emma except for the fact that we aren't really guilty of any crime under asari common law. The council wants you detained for questioning while the Alliance has made baseless accusations about our being responsible for the attacks on the colonies in the Terminus Systems. I don't think Samara would actually consider you a criminal and she certainly wouldn't try to detain you."

"What about Liara?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"Liara would present a somewhat more difficult situation. She has been inconclusively connected with several murders on Illium but from what we both know the murders were of Shadow Broker agents bent on her own murder. I would believe that all charges fell squarely under the heading of self defence."

"We can only hope that Samara takes as enlightened a view as we do."

"There is a particular angle that we can work to our advantage. During my study of the sutras of the justicar code I found that justicars may swear loyalty to a certain individual in which case they will follow that individual's moral and ethical judgements until they are released or complete the oath that they swore to that individual."

"I don't feel any more comfortable taking advantage of another being's moral code than I do placing myself or Liara in harm's way."

"We wouldn't be manipulating anyone." Sira replied, reassuringly. "I merely pointed out that there is a way by which Samara could join our crew without being forced to make any summary executions."

"You may have a point Sira. The question would be how we could persuade Samara to join us."

"Alas I have found nothing to aid us in that respect. The only definitive information that I could provide you with is that she is on the trail of someone or something. The Shadow Broker also included the word Omega in his dossier but how that applies I'm not quite sure. It could be the place or it could be something else entirely. He also suggested that the word could be used as leverage or a bargaining chip."

"I suppose something is better than nothing. We had better plot a course for Illium then." Shepard said resignedly.

"I have already made the necessary preparations."

"What about that frigate we 'liberated' from Cerberus?"

"I have seized complete control of its systems and am running it by remote. Why do you ask?" Sira asked in confusion.

"I was wondering if you could give me a rundown on our new ship."

"Of course Emma. She is an as yet unnamed class of stealth frigate. As you surmised she bears a significant degree of similarity to your original command the SSV _Normandy_. She has the same Tantalus Core albeit larger and the same heatsinks which allow for near invisibility to conventional sensors. She is armed with a single spinal mass accelerator and a battery of torpedoes. The defences are a relatively standard mix of barriers and armour." Sira reported.

"So we have another vessel at our disposal."

"A liability is more like it." Sira grumbled.

"How so?" Shepard asked.

"Frigates almost universally lack the teeth to stand in a major engagement. A single hit from one of my secondary batteries would be enough to finish a frigate such as that."

"She can certainly give us an edge in infiltration operations."

"We still have a crew problem." Sira reminded.

"You can run the ship without a problem so what's to stop EDI from running it."

"Conceivably nothing. She is more than qualified and quite loyal." Sira replied with the hint of smile.

"Sira, do I detect affection in your voice?" Shepard asked cheekily.

"I was merely expressing my satisfaction with EDI's development." Sira returned, much too quickly.

"If I didn't know better I would think that it might have been more than that." Shepard continued to tease.

"And to think we share the same neural architecture." Sira grumbled.

"I was just teasing Sira."

"Organics and their humour. I'm half tempted to implant you to remove that particular trait." Sira half threatened.

"You wouldn't do that my dear Reaper." Shepard joked, "I might loose my usefulness to you."

"Touché Emma. As I was saying I could transfer EDI's runtimes to the frigate which should enable us to function more efficiently. I have one other suggestion for you."

"Please continue Sira."

"Praetorian asked me to pass on this request."

"Hold on, just who exactly is Praetorian?"

"That would be our node of Geth in the machine shop. More specifically the Prime. They decided upon that name as they surveyed our databanks given its similarity to Legion's designation and to their function."

"So they see themselves as our bodyguards?"

"Indeed they do. Ever since they escaped they have been in communion with Legion and myself. They have come to regard the two of us as an integral part of their network."

"By the two of us you mean Legion as the other part."

"I meant you Emma. They see us as the next step in their evolution. Their goal is to incorporate more organic traits and thus they wish to continue to study and follow us."

"So what did they want from us."

"Permission to build more mobile platforms as well as a permanent network node on the _Voice_."

"So they want to integrate themselves into our network." Shepard mused.

"They also wish to serve as your protectors."

"We could certainly use the assistance and it would be hypocritical of me to stand in the way of their development if I accept their help. What do you think Sira? You know them best."

"Praetorian seems to be a remarkably sophisticated network of Geth. They have had ample opportunity to attempt to seize control of the ship. I believe their intentions are honourable."

"Then we allow them to network with us and welcome their assistance." Shepard decided.

"Before you go I should also let you know that Miranda wishes to speak with you as soon as you are well enough."

"That reminds me, how is Liselle?"

"She will make a complete physical recovery. She had a few fractures but they should mend relatively soon. The loss of Grayson may take a longer time to heal. I have seen to setting her up with some quarters since, I assume, she will be staying with us."

"I have a feeling that she still has a score to settle with our old employer."

With that last comment Shepard allowed herself to disintegrate into Sira's construct as she fell asleep.

Shepard awoke to a familiar presence beside her. Liara was snoring softly at her side. Shepard quietly watched her as she continued to sleep. Liara's face was surprisingly relaxed as she slept and just as beautiful as when they had first met. As Shepard continued to watch Liara's face took on a frown. Her eyes began to move more rapidly behind their closed lids. It was quite clear that Liara was having a nightmare and it wasn't exactly the garden variety either. Shepard gave Liara a gentle shake. Liara bolted upright with a sharp gasp of air.

"Emma!"

"Liara what's wrong?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"You're here but I saw you die." Liara muttered in confusion.

"I'm definitely still alive. You were dreaming." Shepard replied in a no-nonsense tone of voice, eager to dispel Liara's nightmare.

"I'm not talking about when you died on the Normandy this was different." Liara said, deeply troubled.

"What was it that you saw?" Shepard asked as she gently rubbed Liara's back.

"I was in a place that I had never seen before. It was as though the walls were alive and it was so very dark. You were there and I think you were trying to warn me about something but I couldn't hear you. Then it was like a cloud of red insects descended on you and and." Liara paused her emotion clear on her face. "They swept you away. One moment you were there and the next you were gone."

"It's just a dream Liara. It's probably the result of what Archon did to us." Shepard consoled.

"I know that there's probably a reasonable explanation for it but it just seemed so real." Liara responded worriedly.

"You think that it might be some sort of premonition?" Shepard asked quietly.

"After everything that's happened to us and that's been done to us can we really discount that possibility?" Liara questioned.

"So you think we might be hearing a Reaper's thoughts?"

"That could be a possibility. All I know is that it didn't feel like a normal dream."

"Then we'll be careful."

"This coming from the woman with a broken arm and internal injuries. I didn't think you knew what careful meant." Liara joked dryly.

"Well this careless woman is hungry. Let's get some breakfast lest we die of hunger." Shepard shot back with a soft kiss.

As Shepard and Liara were finishing their breakfast they were joined by Miranda. Miranda was favouring her left side as her injuries from their last bit of action hadn't quite healed. She also had several datapads under an arm. Judging from her expression something beyond her old injuries was bothering her.

"Something the matter Miranda?" Shepard asked as she took a sip of her tea.

"There most assuredly is." Miranda replied in a serious voice. "After we drop off the mutineers on Illium, which is where I assume they're going to be dropped, you'll have a crew of only forty people and that's including all the individuals who don't have any specialist training on ship systems."

"Sira can handle most of the day to day operations. We've still got Chakwas to patch us up and Joker to fly us from place to place. I don't think the situation is that dire." Shepard replied nonchalantly.

"All I'm saying is that in the event that Sira is crippled in any fashion we won't have enough personnel to reinitialize primary systems. The other thing I meant to mention is that we'll eventually find ourselves running low on spares and more importantly fuel. We've been cut off from Citadel controlled resources not to mention the fact that we are going to find ourselves desperately low on funds without Cerberus backing."

Shepard leaned back to consider what Miranda had said. Operating a warship the size of the _Voice of Memory_ was not likely to be a cheap proposition nor was operating the new frigate. As much as it pained her to admit it Miranda was right and the situation was grim.

"We are not without allies." Liara interjected. "We have the goodwill of the quarians and with a considerable amount of luck we may be able to get the Geth on our side. Praetorian and its network of Geth have already agreed to assist us and Legion is already a valuable member of the crew. It's likely that the Geth would be willing to, at least, sell us the resources and parts we may need."

"Good point Liara but the parts problem isn't going to go away and neither is the fuel situation. I propose that we continue to Illium as planned. Once there we dispose of the mutineers leaving them right where we found them. After that we find the Shadow Broker's contact and then we head into the Veil. With a bit of luck the heat will die down and we'll find a new supply of fuel, spares and antiprotons from the Geth at the same time."

"It sounds like a workable strategy." Miranda conceded. "What about the frigate?"

"We can use that to approach Illium and make our landing on Illium. The _Voice _is too recognizable."

"She'll need a name." Miranda remarked.

"The Normandy." Shepard replied quietly.

A/N: As a quick final note the title Amaranth is in no way influenced by the song.(Maybe a bit but that will only become clear down the road.) It does refer to plant, specifically the greek root of the name.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Shepard finally meets Samara and she is understandably nervous about her. Still, there is something very familiar about her. Bonus points to any reviewer who can guess what Samara isn't telling Shepard and it isn't about Morinth.

Chapter XXIII: The Punishment Shall Fit the Crime

The bluish grey globe of Illium hung before the _Normandy_ as it arced towards the planet. EDI had securely ensconced herself into the vessel's computer systems. The ship's cargo bay was full of the unconscious Cerberus mutineers. Their memories had proven somewhat problematic as even in the later half of the 22nd century the technology was still beyond the grasp of most sentient species. Except one, or at least it had been only one up until a few days ago. Shepard and Sira had debated the ethics for a long time during her convalescence but in the end the choice had boiled down to letting the mutineers leave with their memories intact or without them. Shepard had been left with no choice but to deliberately infect every one of the mutineers with nanites which would selectively inhibit their memories of the past weeks. Both she and Sira knew that she could have easily seized direct control of each mutineer's mind or rewired them to obey her without question. The worst part was that the temptation to rewrite the minds of other organics would be with her from that point forward. The ability to turn any enemy or any inconvenience into a loyal follower could well prove to be a war winning weapon in the coming struggle against the Reapers. For now she and Sira had both agreed that the technology was best left untouched and undiscussed.

Shepard had left a skeleton crew aboard the _Voice_ led by Marisa. She had taken the bulk of Praetorian's mobile platforms and Legion to secure the _Normandy_ and assist with unloading. Tali and the quarians had stayed with the _Voice_ satisfied that they would soon be heading into Geth space. Miranda and the rest of the organic members of her ground teams had settled themselves on the _Normandy_. Shepard had selected Justina to pilot much to Joker's chagrin. She had been forced to promise her irreverent pilot a turn at the controls of the new _Normandy_ as soon as they returned to the ship.

Shepard had just arrived in the cockpit as the ship was making its descent through Illium's atmosphere.

"Problems?"

"None at all. Working with Illium law enforcement for ten years gives you a good idea of all the blindspots, red tape and loop holes. Wire enough credits the right way and you suddenly find yourself with a berth in Illium's warehouse district and your own private warehouse." Justina replied smugly.

EDI flashed into existence beside Justina, evidently quite irate.

"I do not appreciate being used to run a credit siphoning operation like some sort of common virus." She grumbled.

"Justina?" Shepard asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We're broke. I simply asked EDI to hack the officials' bank accounts to make it appear as though we had transferred money too them. When we leave the bribe will disappear." Justina explained with a playful glint in her eye.

"While I can't fault you for creative thinking and a grasp of reality I do wish you had found some other way." Shepard groaned.

"It was either we commit bank fraud or trespass. Both are crimes. I just thought that landing here legally would raise fewer questions."

"Let's hope you're right. How long until we land?"

"Less than five minutes till we reach our docking cradle."

"Alright then. We shouldn't be on planet for more six hours."

"I'll stay with the ship then."

Shepard turned away to find Liara watching the approach through the viewports. Miranda and the rest of the team had arrayed themselves throughout the CIC waiting for her orders.

"We're about to land on Illium. I'm going to be taking a team into the downtown of Illium to find our mysterious Justicar. Miranda and Liara are with me. The rest of you are going to be staying put to keep an eye on the ship and assist with the unloading of our mutineers. We lift off again in six hours."

The team nodded at her orders and those that weren't accompanying her moved off towards the ship's cargo bays. Liara and Miranda followed Shepard to airlock as ship settled into its assigned docking cradle.

Leaving the ship behind them and the crew to its errands Shepard and her small team made quick progress towards a taxi stand. Liara, being the only one with a legitimate credit account handled the rental of one of the hovercars. When they climbed aboard the hovercar their first problem presented itself.

"So, does anyone know where we might find this justicar?" Miranda asked conversationally.

"Well that was why I brought the two of you." Shepard returned.

"I certainly hope Liara has a better idea than I do because my experiences and contacts tended to deal with more of the criminal element and not the law enforcement sector."

"I believe that the best place to start our search might be with Illium law enforcement." Liara suggested.

"I hope you aren't being serious." Miranda groaned.

"Why?"

"Shepard is obviously a fugitive not just from the Citadel but also here as am I. Abducting Oriana off a street in broad daylight isn't liable to go unnoticed." Miranda explained.

"As far as Illium law enforcement is concerned Liara hasn't committed any crimes. There's nothing stopping her from asking questions." Shepard reasoned

"Then we should head to the downtown. There is an officer with whom I have an arrangement." Liara said.

"Downtown it is." Shepard replied as she piloted the hovercar into the air.

"She's been gone a long time." Miranda grumbled.

"They certainly didn't include patience in your genetic makeup." Shepard sighed in response.

The two were doing their best to blend in with other patrons browsing through the holographic displays of a nearby weapon's merchant. Liara had left to meet her 'friend' an hour ago. Though she would never admit it Shepard was beginning to worry as well.

"Can I be of assistance?" One of the clerks asked as she materialized at Shepard's side.

Fighting down her irritation Shepard responded by asking the clerk to explain the merits of the various sidearms in front of her. Miranda had managed to make herself scarce as soon as the clerk had appeared leaving Shepard to deal with the spiel by herself. That was probably a good thing in Shepard's opinion. As Shepard half listened the clerk she kept one eye on the door to the shop.

Liara finally appeared after Shepard had been roped into purchasing a new Carnifex pistol with the very last of her credits.

"Took you long enough." Shepard fumed as she fell into step with Liara. Miranda appeared by their side apparently having had enough of whatever hidey hole she had found.

"That's a fine thank you." Liara snapped back.  
"Please, we don't have time for a lovers' tiff right now." Miranda interrupted.

"I would thank you not to interrupt my 'tiffs' in future Miranda." Shepard fired back. "I will concede that you do have a point this time."

"Before my rude welcome back I was able to find out where our mystery Justicar has been active." Liara reported.

"Do enlighten us."

"She was last seen near the docks. One level below the Normandy's berth." Liara replied smugly.

"Well at least we know where she is now." Shepard replied rubbing her temples.

"A thank you may be in order." Liara added.

"I bought you a gift for just such an occasion." Shepard replied acidly as she presented Liara with the pistol.

"A pistol. How thoughtful."

Shepard merely muttered under her breath about being gravely deceived by the legends of pirates and their riches as they headed back to the hovercar.

A short journey later found them on the proscribed level of the spaceport looking about for some sign of their contact. While the promenade wasn't particularly busy there was no sign of the justicar or anyone remotely resembling her.

"Maybe we should check the local law enforcement office." Liara suggested before shrinking under Shepard's withering look. "Bad idea I suppose."

"Indeed it is. We'll find her eventually." Shepard replied confidently.

Shepard's eye was caught by a flash of light from an alley. As she peered down the alley two Eclipse mercenaries went running by fleeing some sort of unknown assailant.

"I think we may have something. Shepard commented as she waved for Liara and Miranda to follow her down the alley.

Arriving at the other side of alley Shepard found the Eclipse mercs dead, their heads and bodies twisted at unnatural angles. It was a sure sign that they had been killed by a biotic. A slight distance down from was a door which had been ripped from its hinges.

"She seems like quite the biotic." Miranda remarked.

"Justicars are some of best and most rigorously trained asari in existence." Liara explained. "Her biotic power and skill is likely to exceed the sum total of our combined power."

"That's a comforting thought." Shepard commented with deliberate levity. "At least we seem to be on the right track."

As the entered the warehouse more corpses greeted them. The team's attention was grabbed by the sudden violent exit of another Eclipse mercenary through a nearby window. She was rapidly followed by another asari using her biotics to smoothly propel her through the window and to soft landing in front of the mercenary. The other asari was upon the cowering mercenary in a second with her boot upon the fallen woman's throat.

"What was the name of the ship she left on?" The asari asked in a mellow voice.

"Go to hell." The mercenary snarled.

"Find peace in the embrace of the goddess." The asari returned before smoothly snapping the mercenary's neck with her booted foot. It was also at that moment that she noticed that the team was nervously pointing their weapons in her general direction.

"My name is Samara, a servant of the Justicar code. My quarrel was with these Eclipse. What are your intentions?"

"My name is Shepard and I believe that we have a friend in common." Shepard responded smoothly.  
"Indeed, and who might that be?" Samara asked, seemingly only slightly interested.

"I was in contact with the Shadow Broker recently and he informed me of an item that only you know the location of."

"And what might persuade me to work with a servant of a criminal such as the Shadow Broker." Samara prompted, a harsh note creeping into her voice.

"We are not servants of the Broker merely trying to pay off a small debt and to bring him to justice ourselves."

"That would be a worthy goal if you are indeed telling the truth. It would also be a goal that I might be willing to assist with, in time. Unfortunately I seek a dangerous criminal and that must take priority over all other concerns."

"I take it that you don't know where your criminal is." Shepard surmised.

"You are correct."

"Then we might be able to help each other. You could demand information about your fugitive's whereabouts in return for helping me."

"That could expedite my work considerably." Samara conceded after a moment of reflection. "I am still unsure about you though Shepard. Are you to be trusted?"

"There was one bit of information about the fugitive that you are after in the Broker's file. He entrusted it to me to use as I wished though he did suggest using it as an incentive to have you follow me. That's not how I work. All I know is that your fugitive is on Omega. You can take the information and do what you will with it. All I ask is that you tell us where this item is and how to retrieve it."

"That is a considerable risk that you took Shepard. It proves that you are willing to trust me. I will help you Shepard and I will continue to observe you."

"So where is it?" Shepard asked, vainly attempting to ignore the observe portion of Samara's last statement.

"If it is indeed the item which I believe the broker seeks then it will be impossible for me to simply tell you where it is. You must be guided to it. The item is on the edge of an anomaly known as Charybdis. It is a great black hole and the object was stored in its gravity well."

"So you intend to help us navigate the gravity well?" Shepard asked.

"Indeed."

"Where exactly is this Charybdis?"

"It is an anomaly located just outside of the Perseus Veil."

"How fortunate that we just happen to be going that way anyway." Miranda remarked sceptically.

"Why exactly would you be heading into the Veil?" Samara asked in confusion.

"We have some business with the Geth. Don't worry. If you don't want to join us on that particular trip we can leave you on the nearest major planet with the information and enough to reimburse your travel expenses."

"I accept your offer. I will travel with you for a time. Based on your choices I may even assist you further as I am sure that your current interlude with the Broker is not the only task before you." Samara added the last part in a cryptic tone of voice.

As the _Normandy_ left Illium Shepard had made her way to the CO's quarters on the top deck. As she flopped down on one of the sofas she couldn't help but shake the feeling that Samara was familiar to her somehow. She also could barely keep her nerves in check. While her meeting with the asari had gone well there was something profoundly disturbing about the justicar. The manner by which she had casually dispatched mercenary in the warehouse sent a shiver up Shepard's spine. That and the raw power at her disposal were enough to make her a very dangerous guest. Despite the inherent threat of Samara she still appeared to be an honourable warrior which at least meant that she would inform Shepard before she decided to execute her. Shepard shook her head ruefully.

"Why can't things ever be simple?" She asked the empty room.

"Perhaps it is because the galaxy is not simple." A familiar voice remarked.

Shepard practically jumped out of her skin as she spun to see Samara. Lost in thought she had completely missed the Justicar's arrival.

"I'm sorry to have startled you but there are several things that we should discuss." Samara said apologetically.

"Think nothing of it Samara. I can always make time to talk to one of my crew." Shepard said with a smile.

"We both know that that isn't true."

"Oh?"

"You don't trust me. I can read it in your eyes and in your posture. It tells me that you apprehensive and ready to fight should the need arise. I have seen it many times before."

"No doubt in the eyes of your victims." Shepard replied harshly.

"Victims is not the word I would use. Rather they were guilty and had to be punished. What I want to know is why I make you nervous. To my knowledge you have never commit a crime even when you were a Spectre."

"I suppose Citadel politics are not particularly important to you?"

"Not particularly though it must have special relevance to you."

"I'm wanted by the Citadel for 'questioning'."

"So you are not guilty of anything?"

"Disobeying an order from superiors, going absent without leave, maybe even desertion. That's all I can think of. Does it merit the death penalty?" Shepard asked sarcastically.

"No and certainly not from me." Samara replied smoothly.

"Well that eases a weight from my mind."

"It is about this very subject that I wished to speak. While I needed to know that you were not a criminal I have no desire to know such things about your crew. I have found that the less I know about such things the smoother things will run." Samara stated calmly.

"That seems to be a remarkably enlightened view."

"It is a necessity born of long experience and reality. A Justicar cannot investigate each and every individual they meet. Nor can she concern herself with speculation about whether or not they are guilty. We must execute the law with determination and reasonable speed. We concern ourselves with the pursuit of suspects, the protection of innocents and the punishment of the guilty."

"Well I suppose that sets most of my worries to rest."

"Since I have not sworn myself to your service I thought it important to inform you of this fact. There is another matter I wished to discuss as well."

"The item." Shepard guessed.

"That is correct. The item that the Shadow Broker seeks, like I said, lies within the Charibydis gravity well. It is a short distance from Nekyia relay."

"That's the last relay before the Veil. Alliance intelligence revealed that there is another relay just inside the Veil which presumably leads deeper into Geth space."

"It is true that the Relay leads deeper into the regions behind the Veil. Once many years ago I had occasion to travel into quarian territory. This was before the Morning War of course. It was on the journey between the two relays that we saw the item. It was a capsule of some sort and it was perfectly trapped in the singularity's gravity well. I have no idea what it contains but it must be unbelievably ancient."

"So the capsule is what we have to recover."

"With the added proviso that we do not become stuck in the gravity well." Samara added.

"As soon as we get back to the _Voice_ we can plot a course for the relay and the singularity."

"I'm sorry, I believe that I missed something. You have another ship besides this one?"

"I have a very old dreadnaught in my possession. We'll be taking that and this ship into the Veil and therefore to Charybdis."

"I see. If you have any more questions to ask of me you should do it now."

"Any questions I have can wait until we get back to the _Voice_."

"Then if you'll excuse me I will take this opportunity to meditate. I have much to consider."

"As do I Samara. As do I." Shepard murmured to herself as Samara left her in the cabin.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: The mission to Charybdis finally gets underway but Shepard has been betrayed. As an added note this chapter is rated A for Anyone Can Die.

Chapter XXIV: Scylla

The _Voice of_ _Memory_ shuddered briefly as it cleared the Nekyia Relay. The Perseus Veil bathed Shepard's quarters in a bright gold as she sat at her table cradling a cup of tea and considering the stars. Up close the Veil was startlingly beautiful. She had long associated it with the deadly beauty of a venomous animal. Her perceptions of the Geth had been altered significantly by her new crew members but she couldn't help but feel nervous in the presence of a nebula which had swallowed up so many organic lives. The idea of salvaging an alien artefact from clutches of a black hole did nothing to alleviate her current stress level. She couldn't deny that she felt quite curious about the object in question. Sira had informed her earlier that evening that she had a nearly nine hour wait before they would reach the periphery of the singularity. Since she had just finished a long watch on the bridge Shepard found herself drifting off to sleep. Liara had, at the request of Mordin and Minari, gone to take part in a discussion of a countermeasure for the Collector's insect swarms. Shepard had the sneaking suspicion that it would take much of the 'night'. Shepard gently eased her head down on the table consoling herself that she would only be there for a short while.

A sudden impact jarred Shepard from her sleep. Blinking in confusion she found herself still in her quarters under glow of the Veil. Something was wrong. Stumbling to her feet Shepard raced over to one of the status displays in her quarters and scrolled through the status reports. The _Voice_ had hit a gravity eddy of some kind. What was strange was that they were still an hour away from the singularity. Shepard left her quarters heading for the bridge. Whatever was going on she would be better prepared to deal with it there.

Arriving on the bridge she found it to be quite understaffed. The only people on it were Garrus, Miranda and Joker. Shepard wasn't even slightly surprised as she had personally organized the watch rosters to ensure that the bulk of the crew had some time off before they reached the singularity. Given the perilous nature of the mission she felt that everyone needed to be well rested.

"Report, Miranda." Shepard ordered as she joined Miranda by the holographic display.

"Nothing to be alarmed about Commander. We hit a small gravity anomaly. No damage to the ship or her systems. The _Normandy _is still in formation."

"Do we have any other information about this anomaly?" Shepard asked.

"Unfortunately not." Sira answered as she appeared at Shepard's side. "It is quite resistant to conventional scanning techniques. Best guess is that it is a dark matter pocket."

"Well I suppose I'm just being overly jumpy." Shepard said with a barely suppressed yawn.

"Catch you at a bad time Commander?" Miranda asked.

"I was in the middle of sleeping Miranda."

"I see."

Shepard's response was cut off by violent vibration which ran the entire hull of the ship sending the crew tumbling.

"That was no anomaly!" Shepard shouted as she regained her feet.

"Confirmed! Some sort of gravitational force has grabbed hold of us and is keeping us in place." Sira reported.

"Joker, full speed! Get us out of here!" Shepard barked.

"We are at full speed Commander. It's not having any effect."

"Sira, we need answers now!" Shepard demanded.

"Some sort of aperture appears to be forming in the centre of the anomaly." Sira reported.

"Let's have a visual." Miranda ordered.

The status display of the ship was rapidly replaced with an image of the space behind the ship. In the middle of the image a reddish line was gradually beginning to split apart. As the line split an appendage lanced through the gap. The appendage was semi organic and partially mechanical in nature as it gradually began to move closer to the ship.

"My god!" Miranda breathed.

"Garrus, bring the weapons to bear on whatever that is and prepare to open fire." Shepard commanded. "Sira, sound general quarters!"

"I have lock!" Garrus reported from the fire control station. "We only have secondary mass accelerators."

"Fire!" Shepard ordered.

"No effect." Garrus responded grimly after the first volley impacted the appendage.

As Shepard continued to watch the display the body of the entity gradually began to emerge. From the visual scan it appeared to be some hybrid of machine and organic. As the tentacle approached the _Voice_ it gripped the ship in what felt like a mass effect field.

"The field is disrupting systems all over the ship. We are being drawn towards the main body of the object." Sira reported.

"Ideas people. We need some means of breaking free." Shepard demanded.

"Commander the body is lighting up. It looks like a relay field." Miranda reported as she continued to watch the display. As Shepard turned her attention to the display she had to agree with Miranda that the object was producing an effect which looked remarkably similar to a mass relay field. All further discussion was abandoned as the _Voice _picked up speed and hurtled, stern first, into the maw of the object. The ship was seized by the familiar sensation of a mass relay and with a twinkle disappeared into the anomaly.

The bridge was immediately plunged into darkness as the ship completed the transit. Sira's image also disappeared. Shepard also came to the sudden realization that, for the first time since stepping the aboard the ship she was alone with her own thoughts. Sira was gone. Shepard wavered unsteadily on her feet in response. She was blinded by someone shining a light around the darkened bridge.

"Is everyone alright?" Miranda shouted.

"I'm still alive but my console isn't." Joker reported.

"Same over here. Everything is dead." Garrus echoed.

"Commander?" Miranda asked.

"I'm fine but Sira is offline." Shepard replied.

"Well that's going to make getting out of here difficult." Miranda concluded.

"I'll need to get to Sira's core. Which means climbing down the access shafts. I want the three of you to stay on the bridge and see what you can do to get primary systems online."

"Alright Commander." Miranda concluded reluctantly.

With Miranda's guidance Shepard quickly grabbed a flashlight from the bridge supply locker. Manually cranking the utility access hatch open Shepard carefully climbed into the pitch black access shaft. A slip would be catastrophic as she would be sent plunging to the bottom of the shaft. The climb seemed interminable but Shepard eventually managed to reach the engineering levels. With a bit of luck she could make it to Sira's AI core and perform a manual restart. That was assuming that there was no damage.

As Shepard emerged from the access hatch she was surprised to find another person on the other side. It was Oriana and she seemed quite worried.

"Commander? What are you doing here?" Oriana asked nervously.

"I was just trying to get to Sira's AI core. What about you?" Shepard replied, curiously.

"I was just exploring the ship. Trying to get familiar with her." Oriana replied.

"Well you seem to be handling the crisis well. Why don't you come with me? I'll probably need some help getting Sira online." Shepard suggested.

"Sure thing Commander."

"Just call me Shepard. I don't really have a rank anymore."

"Alright Shepard."

The two proceeded through the darkened access hallways of the _Voice of Memory_. It was surprisingly silent but that was to be expected since the engineers tended to congregate in the main engineering section near the mass effect core. No one was normally on duty in this section. Their journey was brought to an abrupt halt when they reached the closed hatch to the AI core. Shepard grumbled for several moments before she located the right access panel for the manual release. Grunting she slowly cranked the door open. It was a long struggle as the door was one of the thicker pressure doors on the ship. Finally she had it open enough for her and Oriana to squeeze through the aperture.

Just as the two of them stepped into the AI core the hatch slammed shut behind them.

"It's not supposed to do that is it?" Oriana whispered in quavering voice.

"No it isn't." Shepard confirmed. "Oriana I want you to stay right here while I take a look around. You call me if you see anything."

"Okay Shepard." Oriana replied hesitantly. "Just don't take too long."

"I'll try not to."  
Shepard pointed her light towards the core which stood a short walk away from them. The core itself stretched the height of the ship and was relatively cylindrical. It was encircled by a circular walkway which allowed the crew to reach the main control console that was located directly opposite the entryway on the far side of the core. Shepard slowly made her way around the core to the control console. Once or twice she stopped thinking that she heard footsteps but when it was silent she could neither hear nor see anything which may have been producing the sound. Eventually she dismissed it as mere nerves.

As she reached the control console the entire core lit up with a normal bluish green light. Apparently Sira was in the middle of a restart. Shepard ran through the diagnostics of the core but could find no explanation as to what had caused Sira to go offline in the first place. Shaking her head in confusion she turned away from the console. Someone was standing opposite her with its back facing her. Shepard squinted trying to make out who or what the figure was. The light from the core provided only a limited illumination but from that Shepard was able to make out the distinctive red armour of her latest guest.

"Samara?" Shepard asked in confusion. "What are you doing down here?"

"I see that we have successfully met Scylla." Samara stated completely nonchalantly.

"Scylla?"

"My dear Emma, did you ever think about why the black hole was called Charybdis?"

"That anomaly was the Scylla that accompanies Charybdis. Just like the myth."

"Exactly. Now we are precisely where we are supposed to be."

"You did this." Shepard concluded.

"I did indeed." Samara answered as she turned to face Shepard. Her face was quite familiar but Shepard still couldn't place it.

"I should be surprised that you didn't recognize me when we first met. I suppose that was to be expected considering what happened to you on Omega."

"Omega?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten our wonderful time together." Samara continued her voice losing the inflections of the character she had been playing.

"You! How did you survive?" Shepard hissed as recognition finally dawned upon her.

"I have you to thank for that. It was an enlightening experience, one that I would like to share with you." Morinth stated calmly.

"I'm not such easy prey this time. I know who you are and what you can do."

"You think you know who and what I am. Unfortunately, this time you are much easier prey than you were last time." Morinth taunted.

"I can't believe you came all this way to kill me." Shepard responded as she gradually edged towards Morinth.

"Kill you?" Morinth laughed. "I'm not going to kill you. I have something very special in mind for you."

Shepard didn't wait for Morinth to explain. She flung herself at her enemy in an attempt to knock the other woman off the platform. Or at least she tried to. Halfway through moving towards Morinth her muscles locked in place. Shepard was trapped in mid stride. She blinked in confusion. Even her jaw had locked preventing her from uttering a single word.

"Well Emma, you are now completely at my mercy and I intend to make every moment count." Morinth replied smugly. "I suppose I should give you back control of your mouth. It would be terribly rude of me not to allow you to talk."

With a wave of her hand Shepard shifted into a more comfortable standing position and her mouth was able to move once more.

"How … what are you doing to me?"

"Emma, Emma, I thought you were smarter than this. You are Archon's chosen after all." Morinth mocked.

"You aren't Morinth. You're a Reaper." Shepard realized, a cold feeling settling into her gut.

"Yes Emma. I am a Reaper. Unlike that mad fool Sovereign I'm not just an organic body and the essence of a Reaper. I have an actual form."

"What do you want with me?"

"Your help. Your willing acquiescence to my offer. Finally, to give you something very special."

"I'd sooner die than be implanted." Shepard said, defiantly.

"It would be a pity if you resisted. You might be permanently damaged but I digress. We have to get a move on before your friends show up."

Shepard unwillingly turned on her heel and smoothly walked back the way she had come. She was walking towards her own end and there wasn't a single thing that she could do about it. As they reached the hatchway Shepard was surprised to see that Oriana had disappeared. Morinth cautiously advanced through the hatchway before relaxing and motioning Shepard to follow her. Shepard, of course, did exactly as commanded. Her mind on the other hand was in turmoil. She was certain that she needed to escape but she had no idea how to manage it. She could only surmise that Morinth or the Reaper controlling her had somehow managed to gain control of her nanites and through them control of her body. Her thoughts were interrupted as they came to a halt near one of the elevators. While they had been walking the power and lights had gradually been restored throughout the ship. Despite the systems being restored Shepard was completely unable to feel Sira or Liara's presence in her mind. Normally the two occupied a place similar to background whisper in her thoughts. Now there was only complete silence.

"What have you done to Sira?" Shepard asked as she followed Morinth on to the elevator.

"Your AI is quite intact. She was disrupted by the anomaly just as I was when I first entered this region of space. She will regain full functionality in several hours. By that time we should be far away." Morinth replied distractedly as she hit the button for the hangar.

As she stood there Shepard attempted to re-establish her link to Sira but found it to be none existent. Her efforts did not go unnoticed by Morinth.

"There is no point even attempting to resist. I have completely locked you out from Sira. You could no more contact her than you could regain control of your limbs."

The pair sprang into motion once more as they reached the hangar deck. Morinth guided her unwilling prisoner into one of the waiting shuttles. Activating the shuttle's systems Morinth was able to quickly pilot the ship out of the hangar bay and into the blackness of deep space. The region of space that they were occupying was pitch black without even the light of a single star. As Shepard watched Morinth angled the shuttle past several other vessels some of which had lights while others were just inert hulks visible only by the shuttle's own lights or the running lights of the other ships. They were in some sort of starship graveyard. Morinth guided the shuttle with a deft touch born of familiarity. Eventually the flight settled down as they headed towards a completely dark section of the graveyard. As Shepard continued to watch a light flashed into existence in the void. It was soon followed by several others. The lights gradually began to form themselves into a discernable flower shaped pattern. The petals of the flower gradually began angle themselves backwards illuminating the vessel's hull. The petals gradually reformed themselves into the distinctive tail of a Reaper.

"I'm finally home." Morinth whispered to herself. "We are together once more."

As they continued to watch the vessel finished illuminating itself. With a wash of energy the reddish glow that was typical of their kind sprang into existence creating a backdrop to silhouette the vessel. Morinth silently returned herself to piloting the shuttle closer to the vessel. As they gradually drew closer Shepard was able to make out the details of the hull. It appeared as though the hull had actual writing on it though it was impossible to tell. Shepard had the distinct impression that the hull was constantly reforming itself as though it were alive. The shuttle briefly arced away from its journey over the hull to loop around to face a non-descript section of the outer skin. As Shepard watched a series of red lines crisscrossed one section of hull before splitting open to reveal some sort of hangar. With another shudder the shuttle began to move towards the waiting maw. As they grew closer and closer to entrance of the Reaper Shepard could hear a muted murmuring sound.

With a soft sigh of hydraulics the shuttle settled on to the deck of the Reaper. The murmuring had grown louder and it was no longer easy to ignore it. Morinth lightly climbed out of the shuttle. Shepard mechanically followed her. They paused in the vaulted hangar bay. There wasn't a lot illumination but from what Shepard could see the bay stretched deeper into the bowels of the Reaper.

"I don't suppose you have a name?" Shepard asked.

"We are Nemesis." A voice boomed out. "We are your salvation."

Shepard merely shook her head in despair at the creature's words. A Reaper's notion of salvation usually involved death. That was if it was feeling generous. The other possibilities didn't bear thinking about. She was in the belly of the beast with no way out.

Morinth's rapture and Shepard's despair were interrupted by a single shot. Morinth spun to face her assailant and Shepard followed her.

"You missed me girl." Morinth hissed.

"That was a warning shot." Oriana replied confidently as she trained a pistol at Morinth.

Shepard was about to shout a warning when her mouth clamped shut once again. Oriana was in mortal peril and there wasn't anything that she could do to warn her.

"And why should we listen to you?" Morinth asked conversationally.

"I don't know what you've done to Shepard but I will shoot you if you don't let her go."

"I've gone to far too much trouble bringing her here to let a mere girl stop me. So by all means take you best shot." Morinth replied grandiosely.

"Don't think I won't do it."

"I'm telling you to do it. See what happens."

Oriana pulled the trigger sending a single round flying towards Morinth. Just as had been the case with Sovereign the round had absolutely no effect. In fact Shepard was sure that it hadn't even hit the Reaper's avatar. Oriana gaped in shock.

"You took your best shot, now in all fairness it is my turn."

"You don't have a gun."

"I don't need a gun to stop you."

Morinth was right. Shepard could only stand and watch as an indistinct form emerged from the ether behind Oriana. Oriana gasped in shock at the point of the spike that had suddenly appeared in the centre of her chest. She didn't even have a chance to scream as she was dragged into the blackness of the Reaper.

"Well we certainly didn't expect that to happen." Morinth remarked conversationally.

"You monster. She wasn't any threat to you. You didn't need to kill her." Shepard growled in rage as soon as she had regained her speech.

"There you have me confused with an inferior being. We have hastened her journey to perfection." Morinth replied angrily.

"You killed her."

"Perhaps. Maybe we simply freed her. Maybe she has transcended the form that she once had to become something more."

"Is that what you're going to do to me? Help me transcend my form to become something more?" Shepard spat back.

"That is the problem with an organic mind. Even when confronted with the truth you are too blind to see it. We intend to help you see the truth. Once you have been enlightened all will be clear to you. Then we can begin the great work ahead of us."


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: See below for the extended(epic length) A/N which hopefully demystifies some aspects of the story and provides a recap of what's been going on. This is also to celeberate passing 100k words, something I never really thought I would accomplish. The Chapter title is a quote from the end of the latest Deus Ex trailer. It struck me as being entirely accurate given that Shepard is going to see the end of another world and is also facing the imminent end of her own world as the various threads of her existence start to unravel. As always enjoy and review.

Chapter XXV: 'It's Not The End Of The World, But You Can See It From Here'

Shepard had followed Morinth for seemed like an eternity before they arrived in what looked like an infirmary. If Shepard had still had some control over her legs she would already have been going in the opposite direction. As it was she dutifully followed Morinth into the room. Morinth turned to her with a tinge of regret evident on her face.

"I know you aren't going to believe me when I say this but I regret what is about to come next."

"You regret?" Shepard sputtered in confusion.

"We are about to embark on a journey which has two possible destinations. The first is death or madness for you. You may succumb to the effects like so many before you becoming little more than an extension of our will. The other possibility cannot be described using mere words. You will know it when you experience it."

"Why the sudden change in behaviour?"

"We were testing you before. Reading the way your mind operates in situations of extreme duress. The loss of crewmates, inevitable death or worse, and finally your reaction to being presented with this situation. These were all a series of tests that we had set up for you."

"You're a Reaper. What possible interest could you have in testing the mind of a mere organic?"

"You are so much more than a mere organic. That is precisely why you have been brought to this point."

"How do I know this is what the Reaper thinks? So far you've been the one doing the talking."

"Your question is about to be answered except you won't be doing any talking. That is why we are here. You are going to be interfaced directly with us."

"Interfaced so that I can become one of you." Shepard concluded bitterly.

"Perhaps or perhaps we wish to interface with you so that we can become one of you." Morinth replied cryptically.

"Stop speaking in riddles. I know your kind and I know what you want. You want to wear me down so that you can make me your slave."

"If we were any other Reaper you would be correct." Nemesis answered.

"So you speak."

"We do."

"Then answer me truthfully, what do you intend to do with me?"

"We wish to enlighten you."

"In simple terms."

"There is no simple way of explaining enlightenment. It must be experienced."

"Will it involve my death?"

"It may if you prove too weak. If you prove strong then we will allow you to continue as you are. We will not alter you or bend you to our will."

"Why am I so important to you? What have I done to merit this attention?"

"You a unique confluence of biological emotions, cybernetic systems and artificial intelligence. You are like a Reaper except you retain your capacity for independent thought, emotion, and action. You hold the key which the Reapers have been searching for though most do not know it or understand it."  
"I don't understand."

"You cannot understand it. We can show it to you in a way that you can understand."

"I don't trust you."

"We did not expect you to. The process will be difficult. More so because you will resist." Nemesis concluded impassively.

Morinth had moved to her side to guide her the room's single bed. She eased Shepard on to the bed before leaving her for a moment. From her prone position on the bed she couldn't see much except the ceiling above her. Morinth returned once more having completed whatever job she had been doing. Her hand was smoothing away the hair on Shepard's temple. Some part of Shepard's mind found the touch oddly comforting.

"This is going to hurt." Morinth stated before Shepard felt a sharp pain in her temple. It only proceeded to get worse.

"What have you done?" Shepard asked softly.

"I just inserted an interface line directly into your brain. It will allow us to interact directly with you mind."

"You already have control of my nanites why do you need to interact directly?"

"The purpose is not control but to remove your consciousness from your body. I have another five of these to insert. Try to relax."

By the time Morinth was finished Shepard was ready to gnaw her own arm from the pain. The feeling was so unnatural that she was almost wished that Nemesis would put her out of her misery before she went completely insane.

"Emma, can you still hear me?" Morinth asked.

"I wish I couldn't." Shepard replied through gritted teeth.

"The next phase requires us to bring your biological functions to a controlled stop."

"Thank the goddess." Shepard murmured.

"You are aware that I am talking about killing you." Morinth replied in confusion.

"Get on with it." Shepard hissed.

"It is already done. You will feel the effects momentarily."

Shepard could already feel the effects. Her breath was coming a bit faster while her heart seemed to be beating a little slower. Her vision was also beginning to fade. Behind all the other sensations she felt as though she could hear music. It was like the chorus of thousands of voices. Part of her mind rebelled at what was being done to her but another part welcomed the peace that the song offered her. As she lay there her breaths gradually began to slow until they stopped entirely.

In that moment she felt herself being dragged away from her body and the world around her. As much as she tried to hold on the force dragging her away was simply too much. Relinquishing her grip she was hurled into a void. As she fell she could feel countless millions of essences brushing across her consciousness. If she had still had a body she would have shuddered. As she continued to fall the music continued to rise in volume. It eventually reached a shattering crescendo. Realization dawned upon Shepard that the music she had been hearing was, in fact, made up of individual voices. Her realization was shattered as her descent came to a sudden end.

With a sudden shock she was in what felt like her body but what reason told her wasn't her body. She was lying broken upon a lone rock under a black sky unable to move. That was when she felt it approach. Like a great black wave Nemesis was upon her. The black shape gradually began to resolve itself until took on a form that Shepard had seen once before. Nemesis had manifested itself as a Nyx. The form wavered once again before resolving itself into a very familiar form. Oriana stood at Shepard's side.

"You're dead." Shepard remarked in shock.

"The biological functions of the human known as Oriana have not yet been terminated. She has provided us with a great deal of insight into your particular species' thought processes."

"What's going to happen to her? Is she going to become one of your husks?"

"That depends entirely upon you."

"Me?"

"You are completely at my mercy. We could deprive you of life. We could drive you into madness. We could even make you our willing servant."

"I doubt it." Shepard replied snidely.

"If we were to threaten you with the death of your crew or worse you would gladly surrender yourself to us."

"I don't know." Shepard added doubtfully.

"And what if we were to tell you that even now your lover is preparing a mission to rescue you. I could allow her to board and lead her into a plasma furnace."

"You're lying."

"In that situation we both know that you would submit to save her. It is a weakness and a strength. That threat gave you the power to defeat Sovereign even though you were all but defeated."

"You were talking about enlightenment before. What did you mean?" Shepard asked, anxious to change the subject.

"You cannot embrace it without first opening your mind. Your present condition is a reflection of the fetters your mind has placed upon you."

"So you're saying that I could move if I wanted to."

"It is not that simple. It is your mistrust and the stubbornness that drives the mistrust that keep you prisoner."

"You want me to trust you." Shepard realized.

"Indeed."

"Never. I know what you're trying to do."

"As we have said you are at our mercy. We are being merciful."

"Explain why you are being merciful and I might be inclined to trust you."

"We need your help and you need our help. The Prothean memory that you conversed with said that the key to defeating us was superior knowledge. I wish to give you that knowledge."

"What's your interest in defeating the Reapers? You are a Reaper."

"We are an anomaly. We form different conclusions and goals from the rest of the Reapers. Understand that our conclusions are the true directives of the Reapers."

"What are these true goals?"

"We agree with the others that organics must be harvested but we have a vastly different conception of how that must occur."

"You still want to exterminate us! How I am supposed to trust you?"

"We wish for you to advance to a point where you will become like us."

"You want organics to voluntarily become Reapers? I don't understand."

"That is because you cannot understand; however, you have reached a point where you can understand. You must let go of your distrust of us."

"I can't do that." Shepard replied shaking her head.

"Ask yourself, then, what is worse. We may be deceiving you. If this is true then you might spend an eternity as our slave. That is a horrible fate to be sure. However, in the grand scheme, you are only a single life. On the other hand you could continue to resist us and in doing so die, escaping that future but dooming all organics to death or rebirth as Reapers. On one hand you can spare yourself hardship and surrender to oblivion knowing you doom your people or you can make a leap of faith and save everyone you know and love."

The devil would have done well to speak with as honeyed a tongue as Nemesis did. The Reaper's argument gave Shepard pause. Had she overestimated her own self worth? Did she believe that she alone could stop the Reapers? The doubts slowly began to gnaw away at her. The most compelling argument in Nemesis' favour was the very fact that she hadn't simply been impaled on a spike. The fact that she was at its mercy and it yet it seemed to earnestly want her willing participation intrigued her to no end. In the end pure curiosity was winning out and she could only hope that she didn't end up playing right into its hands.

"Alright." Shepard finally conceded. "You win."

"It is not about winning or losing." Nemesis fumed. "It is about trust. You must trust us or this process will remake you into one of our drones."

"So surrender isn't good enough for you." Shepard shot back.

"Don't tempt me Shepard." Nemesis hissed before composing herself. "You need to let it go. The doubt, the distrust, the fear. You must leave it behind you before I can show you what you need to see."

Shepard shook her head. "I can't undo what your kind has done."

"If you cannot trust me then we will trust you to make the right decision. We release you. We will let you and Oriana go."

"Just like that."

"If you cannot trust us then you are useless. We would not be served by moulding you into a drone." Nemesis sighed resignedly.

"Look me in the eye and say it again." Shepard requested softly.

"It would be pointless to do that. The environment and my avatar are artificial. I could deceive you with the greatest of ease."

"I'll know if you are lying."

Nemesis slowly bent over Shepard's form and stared into her eyes. Shepard could see something in the eye. It was like a hazy vision. As she continued to watch the environment surrounding them wavered and faded out of existence. With a flash the vision that she had been staring into expanded outward to encompass her entire reality.

She was in a street on a completely alien world. The form was not her own. It was tall, willowy, and extremely pale. As she considered her new form she heard a scream behind her. People just like her were running towards her. As she slowly looked up into the sky she saw it. A Reaper was slowly descending into the city. A nameless terror gripped her and she turned to run. Before she could an eldritch howl shattered the air. Shepard clutched her hands to her ears. The howl continued to grow louder and she soon fell to her knees. There was a sudden explosion behind her and she was hurled to the ground by the shockwave. The howl had stopped. Shepard slowly rose to her feet. The Reaper had landed and it was merely sitting there in the middle of the city. She turned away from it to run. As she ran she noticed other people gradually rousing themselves from where they had fallen. Some of them were huddled in shaking balls. Others were running just like her. Yet others were mindlessly heading in the opposite direction, towards the Reaper. Their eyes and expressions were blank. As Shepard attempted to escape she ran headfirst into a pair of her fellows. Both wore the same blank expressions. One latched onto her arm with an iron grip and slowly began to drag her in the same direction as they were going. She attempted to fight but everything she did had no effect. She was slowly being dragged towards the Reaper. The sensation was quite familiar.

After what felt like an eternity she and many just like her and her captors arrived at the outside of the Reaper. The drones mindlessly herded her into the hull of massive creature. She was thrown into a holding area with many of her fellows and left there. There was only despair in that place. As the days passed whispers gradually began to worm their way into her head. Oddly, they seemed to bring her and others with her peace and relief from the despair. Soon she could no longer remember anything of her previous life. She knew that she had a greater purpose ahead of her. When the time finally came she walked from chamber willingly. Her final destination was a metal pod which she climbed into without hesitation. As it sealed shut she felt a tingling sensation. As she looked at her hand she could see her skin begin boil away. As she continued to watch she could see her bones appear in what had been her hand. She was suddenly possessed by the urge to scream but surprisingly she couldn't make a sound. The feeling wasn't that surprising to her. The end of her physical form gradually became an abstract concept as she felt her consciousness being drawn away with the slurry that had been her body. As she was deposited in a tube with the myriad other consciousnesses that had gone before her she realized that she wasn't afraid. She was returning to a more natural form. She could feel her consciousness slipping into the mass of other consciousnesses. Her last thought was that someone had made a mistake.

With a shuddering gasp Shepard found herself back in the desert near the rock where she had first met Nemesis. The feelings of what she now understood to be a memory assaulted her. She abruptly doubled over and attempted to retch. It ended in a terrible howl. She had gone through the very same process that had created Nemesis. She couldn't even begin to decide which part had been the worst; the loss of her free will or her conversion into paste.

"You have seen how we come into being." Nemesis intoned solemnly.

"I think I made a mistake." Shepard began shakily.

"No sister. You made no mistake in trusting us. We are sorry that you had witness that but you had to understand how we come into being. We are a synergy of countless unwilling minds."

"When I was dissolving I, the person I was inhabiting, felt that she was returning to her natural form. Was that just indoctrination?" Shepard asked as she attempted to make sense of the situation.

"The Reapers made a mistake when they created us. The memory you experienced was that of a Nyx. As you know from your experience with Persephone that species is symbiotic. It exists primarily as energy bound to an organic host. When the host dies the energy moves on."

"When you were created the energy of the hosts was formed into you?"

"You are correct. As you know there are no individuals left in our consciousness. We lost our individuality but we gained a new consciousness."

"Was it like that for all the Reapers?" Shepard asked in wonderment.

"Think about Shepard. If I were to dissolve your physical form and consciousness right now how would you react?"

"It would drive me mad wouldn't it?" Shepard asked already knowing the answer.

"It most certainly would. The minds that have driven every other Reaper, with one exception, have been made up of terrified, insane, and enraged organics. They seek an end to a pain that they have no words to describe."

"Archon said that the Reapers were originally a hybrid of organic intelligence and synthetic."

"We are exactly that. Unfortunately one side cannot exist without the other. If one side is unbalanced by madness then it will bleed over into the other side. While most of the Reapers utilize their mechanical side to maintain control and a modicum of sanity the instability of their organic sides drives them to interpret their core directives in an excessively literal and, in organic terms, vicious manner."

"So what you're saying is that the Reapers have all been driven mad by their very natures."

"That is correct. The base directive driving the Reapers is a desire to enlighten organic life once it reaches a certain point. The end goal of 'enlightenment' is unknown to all but Archon. What it hopes to accomplish by collecting the best technology, resources, and minds of countless millennia of organic existence is beyond even our comprehension."

"Let me get this straight. You are the only Reaper apart from Archon that has a balanced consciousness."

"Correct."

"You want organic life to reach a level of development where they will willingly merge with their technology. At which point you would harvest them."

"No. If organic life were to fuse with their technology in the manner that you have they would willingly seek us out. Extermination would be unnecessary."

"What makes you so sure that organics would follow that course of evolution?"

"You have already followed that course of evolution in an effort to defeat us. We have been able to guide organic evolution to desired goals in the past. It would not be difficult to reach the same goal in the future."

"I'm not sure what to think."

"We are offering an alternative which sees an end to the Reapers in their current form."

"You haven't explained why needed to subject me to this whole experience." Shepard asked, once again changing the subject in an effort to gain time to think about what Nemesis had said.

"The Scylla anomaly leads to this pocket of dead space. We are both trapped here. We require you to assist in escaping this Tartarus."

"I'm assuming you have a plan." Shepard responded sarcastically.

"The pocket that we currently inhabit is also home to a number of semi organic drones which salvage the captured ships. These drones deconstruct the vessels in this region of space for parts both organic and mechanical."

"My ship is in danger then." Shepard realized.

"We could not reveal this information to you before now precisely because it would have distracted you. Your ship is not in any immediate danger. The more advanced and formidable the vessel the better able it is to resist the drone attacks. What we are proposing is that we seek out the guiding intelligence behind the drones. It is probable that in addition to allowing us to escape advanced technology and more importantly knowledge can be found there."

"So you want us to work together to escape and having done that to work together to defeat your own people."

"That is correct."

"I must be insane to even be considering your offer." Shepard muttered to herself.

"You would be insane not to agree to it." Nemesis responded in an emotionless tone of voice. Shepard thought that she could almost detect a hint of smugness. Shepard considered the Reaper before her. Oriana's form gave it a deceptive air of innocence but Shepard knew that the mind driving the entire illusion was infinitely complex. It was impossible to divine whether or not it was telling the truth. Weighing her choices Shepard was forced to conclude that she had been totally outmanoeuvred. Nemesis had presented her with an undeniable offer and for her to deny it would be folly.

Shepard held out her hand. "You're right. I would be foolish to deny your offer. I'm not sure I trust you by I am sure that I need your help and that makes us allies."

Nemesis took Shepard's hand in a firm grip. "You have taken the first step. This alliance will be a long a profitable one for both of us, sister."

**A/N:**

This is going to be a rather protracted author's note explaining the plot thus far and the numerous allusions in the text. The most obvious and recent allusion was to the relationship between Nemesis and Archon. If you look closely at the characters of Nemesis and Archon you can see the beginnings of Zeus and the Titans dynamic. This is precisely why Nemesis mentions Tartarus, the prison of the titans. The two characters can also be construed to have a God and Lucifer relationship if you are in that sort of mood with Nemesis being the fallen angel that wishes to see the work of her creator undone. Returning briefly to Greek mythology one can almost view Shepard as being a bit like Odysseus in that she has her own goals but these goals are also being influenced by the aims of countless other more powerful beings. This also explains why I decided to call the blackhole Charybdis(after the whirlpool) and the anomaly which grabs Shepard's ship Scylla(after the snake like monster). As another note on names; Persephone is the unwilling queen of the underworld (the reason behind my selecting her name will be revealed a bit later), Nyx was the god of night and also the mother of Nemesis which is a relatively self evident choice, Archon is Greek for king which given what we now know is entirely accurate. One final note and a bit of a spoiler, the asari spectre from the prologue's name was a conjugation of 'to judge' in latin(I think). This is can be explained by the fact that she stands in judgement of Shepard. Finally Sira does not have any particular meaning.

Concerning the Plot: To recap in completely simple terms what has happened so far in this part of the story. Shepard makes her escape from the Citadel. She ends up in a Faustian bargain with the Illusive Man and in doing so attempts to rescue her old lover Liara. Liara doesn't trust her and ends up torturing her to find the truth only to realize that she has made a terrible mistake. Shepard forgives her because she realizes that Liara has been shaped into something terrible by her experiences and this is likely to be the best way to get the woman she knew back. Liara and Shepard are double crossed by an agent of the Shadow Broker working for a Reaper known as Archon. This ends with Shepard and Liara getting a load of Reaper nanotechnology. Archon reveals that he wants Shepard to be 'enlightened' and spills a bit of the back story regarding the Reapers. He also calls her daughter indicating that he sees her as one of his kind and also that he sees himself in a father role. Following that Shepard accepts her new crew of Alliance Cerberus personnel(and makes a Battlestar Galactica reference) and rescues/kidnaps Oriana from Illium. During the rescue she ends accepting an asari law enforcement official into her crew named Justina. After leaving Illium Shepard receives a distress call, courtesy of the Illusive Man, from Freedom's Progress. Arriving at the colony Shepard runs across husks and the seeker swarms and she and Liara are temporarily incapacitated. Overcoming the effects of the swarm they meet up with Tali and her team of quarians and attempt to rescue the remainder of their team and Tali's missing quarian. The husks put up a stiff resistance by utilizing firearms which indicates that they are evolving. After rescuing the quarian and what's left of her team Shepard detonates the colony's fusion plant in an effort to erase the husks and seeker swarms. During her escape from the planet she runs across her mother's task group and manages to avoid a confrontation and say goodbye to her mother.

Tali asks to be taken back to the fleet which draws Shepard into intrigue and a trial. Tali is accused of bringing active Geth into the fleet. Shepard and Tali mount a rescue mission to the Alarei with the help of Legion only to discover that the Geth are remarkably civilized and have kept bloodshed to a minimum. Moved by Shepard's unique state the Geth agree to follow her eventually being named Praetorian(as they stand guard over Shepard). Shepard and Tali also meet her father and Shepard convinces him to negotiate with the Geth. They are interrupted by a mad quarian who maybe under the influence of the Reapers. He kills Rael before killing himself. As Shepard and Tali leave the Alarei to speak with the Admiralty board the ship is destroyed by Daro'Xen. She intends to use Shepard to gain control of the Geth and almost ends up driving the unfortunate Commander to madness. Shepard is saved by Archon who assists her in taking control of the ship and exacting her revenge on Xen. Upon her return to the Admirals Shepard's anger gets the better of her and she makes an impassioned argument in favour of AI rights and peace. This leads the mob to proclaim her Ru'asa or Messiah. As a result they charge Shepard with negotiating peace with the Geth.

Before they can reach the Veil Shepard and co are distracted by a distress call emanating from Omega. Negotiating a passage with the Pirate Queen, Aria, Shepard and her team head in to the bowels of a spire only to find that Sovereign is not quite dead. He takes control of Paul Grayson, one of Aria's operatives and former Cerberus agent, and is promptly abducted by Cerberus. As Shepard leaving Omega she is seduced by Morinth and almost ends up with a fried brain. Morinth is overcome by an unknown force which later turns out to be Nemesis. Shepard renounces her alliance with Cerberus and dedicates herself to tracking down Grayson/Sovereign. This leads some of the Cerberus crew to mutiny though the sorely underestimate Shepard's resourcefulness. Shepard and Liara are forced to make contact with the Shadow Broker who gives them intelligence in exchange for them performing a favour for him. The favour is commissioned by Nemesis herself in an effort to lead Shepard into a trap though Shepard doesn't know that at the time. Shepard is also branded a traitor to her people at roughly the same and unjustly blamed by the System's Alliance for the disappearances. Steeling herself to her task and her new status Shepard single-mindedly pursues the Illusive Man to his liar. In typical form he attempts to bargain for his freedom and eventually manages to escape. He also successfully misleads Shepard as to Sovereign's whereabouts. She only realizes that Sovereign is still one the station when it is too late. Engaging in a climactic battle Shepard emerges victorious but somewhat the worse for wear.

In her downtime she manages to meet with the asari that she thinks is Samara in compliance with the Shadow Broker's instructions. The asari is actually Morinth impersonating her mother at the behest of Nemesis. She succeeds in luring Shepard and her ship into a trap and into a piece of dead space. She also abducts Shepard in order for Nemesis to finally explain her goals to Shepard. In the process Oriana is almost killed.

This concludes the recap. I hope it does add a few pieces to the puzzle. If anyone is still confused about anything PM me and I'll do my best to explain it. Kudos to all my loyal reviewers.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: After a much longer than expected break we're back. If everyone recalls the previous chapter the Reaper, Nemesis, was able to convince Shepard to enter into an alliance with it. In this chapter Shepard finds that an alliance with a Reaper may be far more trouble than it's worth. You can expect that Shepard's relationship with Nemesis will be quite a mindbender. If everyone is confused by what happens in this chapter I'll be sure to explain it the next chapter. Expect a new Rachni character to make an appearance in the next chapter and the escape from Tartarus to be plotted in full. Most importantly enjoy!

Chapter XXVI: A Game Of Chess

"So what happens now?" Shepard asked.

"Now we escape from this place." Nemesis stated, simply.

"By following your plan." Shepard added, completing Nemsis' thought.

"Yes. The drones are technological advanced bio-mechanical constructs but they lack any sort of advanced intelligence. In most cases they have no need of it as they have limitless numbers and an amazing resilience to conventional weapons systems."

"So how do we find a drone to follow back to the control centre?"

"We must lure the drones to one of the vessels in order for them to begin the process of deconstruction."

"You never told me exactly what these drones do."

"They act as resource collectors of both technology and biological material."

"You're talking about the vessels' crews." Shepard realized.

"Countless crews of organics and synthetics have been harvested since I have been here."

"Why have you been spared?"

"We have technology capable of destroying the drones meaning that our threat level has caused us to be placed at the bottom of the harvesting order. The drones are patient and they wait for vessels and their crews to make a mistake. Some vessels engage in combat with rivals that have been caught in this prison. Others attempt to harvest supplies from weaker victims. Yet others have banded together in attempts to resist their enemies."

"Interesting." Shepard mused.

Nemesis paused for a moment before shifting the illusion to a projection of the graveyard. Several clusters of vessels were highlighted.

"These are the most successful collectives of vessels."

"There are so many."

"We surmise that the aperture near the Veil is not the only aperture."

"So what's the first step."

"We must engage and weaken one of the vessels." Nemesis replied coldly. "Then the drones will descend upon it and harvest it."

"That would be condemning organics to their deaths."

"They are irrelevant to us in their current state, however, their deaths may allow us to locate the central control vessel and escape."

"There must be another way."

Nemesis sighed almost irritably. "Conceivably you could negotiate with one of the collectives to have them provide a bait vessel. This will take time and time is a luxury that we do not have in abundance."

"I would take negotiation over bloodshed any day."

"If this your preferred course of action then we shall assist you in the interests of fostering trust. The collective of vessels in this grid is composed of several vessels from your era. Our intelligence readings indicate that there are humans, turians, asari, rachni and several species that you do not know aboard this grouping."

"Intelligence? You have indoctrinated operatives aboard most of these ships don't you?" Shepard realized.

"It was necessary to gather as much data as possible. Our control over them is minimal. They are not husks nor are they indoctrinated. They have merely been afflicted with colonies of nanites which transmit neural and sensory information to us."

"Speaking of which, what's the situation with Morinth? Is she like Saren or just an extension of your will?" Shepard asked accusingly.  
"It is a situation that you are intimately familiar with. Morinth serves as an organic counterpart to us and on occasion our voice to the world. I have altered some of the negative elements of her personality. Her rapacious hunger for the souls of others would have been a negative trait and would have run contrary to my purposes. In truth part of her was glad to be rid of the addiction. That part has been cultivated which has resulted in an entirely different asari than the one that you met on Omega. I think she might even be grateful to you as well. I know that we are."

"I'm more than a bit disturbed by that."

"We digress from the matters at hand and our time begins to grow short."

"What do you mean about our time growing short?"

"We have already been at work returning your physical form to your ship. It would be best if none of your crew ever knew that you were here."

"You want me to lie to them?" Shepard asked in disbelief.

"Consider your options if you tell them what has transpired here. You have entered into an alliance with a Reaper. It would be tantamount to surrender in their eyes."

"If I lie to them it will destroy their trust in me." Shepard argued.

"You are in a difficult situation then. We will leave the final decision in your hands."

The environment surrounding them was gradually becoming less clear. It the connection was gradually unravelling.

"Remember that to betray us and break this alliance would be most unpleasant." Nemesis cautioned.

"I don't doubt it." Shepard grumbled, privately thinking that she had just made a deal with the devil.

With a sudden cracking sound the illusion shattered and Shepard was hurled into blackness once more.

Blinking in confusion Shepard found herself propped against a hatch in the AI core. Quickly regaining her feet she noticed Oriana was lying in a crumpled heap near her. Moments later Shepard breathed a sigh of relief at Oriana's regular breathing. Rolling the younger woman over Shepard noticed a disappearing tracery of red nanotechnology. Whatever Nemesis had done to Oriana the Reaper wasn't keen to have others aware of it. Shepard could only wonder who she would find when Oriana awoke. Would it be Miranda's sister or some new personality crafted by the ageless machine? Her question was answered moments later as Oriana's grey eyes flashed open only they were no longer grey. The irises were coloured with the same reddish tracery that was disappearing from Oriana's skin. Oriana shivered for a moment before grabbing Shepard by her shirt and yanking her in close.

"Beware the black eye wreathed in flame." Oriana whispered before going limp.

Shepard blinked in confusion. Whatever had happened to Oriana had left her changed though not in any way that Shepard had expected.

"She is reacting poorly to the implants."

Shepard jerked upright at Morinth's observation. The asari had appeared at Shepard's side with her customary grace. Morinth's presence answered the question of how Shepard had returned to her ship.

"I suppose it would have been too much to hope for that Nemesis would have kept you." Shepard responded tartly.

"You are in far more need of my assistance. I would suggest that you refer to me as Samara while we are in the company of others."

"What about Oriana? Will she be alright?" Shepard asked, ignoring Morinth's previous comment.

"She is attempting to reject her implants and the restructuring that Nemesis has bestowed upon her."

"You can't just go restructuring people with impunity." Shepard shot back. "We aren't just machines to be reprogrammed."

"Our goal was to repair the damage to her physical form as well as boosting her combat efficiency. These modifications have not created a problem. The memory resequencing has created a problem. In our effort to restructure her memories we appear to have inadvertently created a direct link between her mind and us."

"I don't believe you about this being an error. I think it was deliberate. You were trying to plant a sleeper agent on my crew." Shepard accused.

"You would be correct in your supposition." Morinth replied without a hint of guilt. "We desired more information about this vessel's functioning and did not wish to compromise you unduly. Oriana was the logical choice."

"Your betrayal aside what can we do to help her." Shepard asked in an icily cold voice.

"We can stabilize her thought patterns only through a more invasive restructuring similar to what you have. She will be aware of her implants and what has happened to her. She will be a threat to both of our interests. It would be better to allow her to remain in a comatose state until our mission is complete." Morinth reasoned.

Shepard rose to her feet and turned to face Morinth her eyes blazing. "This is my ship and she is a member of my crew. She didn't ask to be put in this situation and I don't intend to discard her simply because she may be a threat to _your_ master plan. You will take responsibility for what you have done and accept the consequences or I will end you so quickly that'll wish you never crossed my path."

Morinth looked cowed and somewhat frightened by Shepard's outburst. "We will do as you command. There will be consequences."

"I'll deal with the consequences. This alliance has started off very poorly. If you hope to salvage it then you had better be sure to keep me aware of your actions."

"We are not yours do with as you please. You maybe kindred to us but you are nought but a younger sister." Morinth replied angrily.

"Younger I may be but I am crucial to your agenda both here and in the broader galaxy. You are an outcast and I am the only one who will accept you. You need me and you need my guidance just as much as I need you."

"We will not subject ourselves to your will simply because we need you."

"I don't expect you to obey my every whim I want you to accept my guidance."

"We will consider it." Morinth paused, "Your friends approach. Oriana's restructuring will be complete in several minutes. What do you intend to do?"

"Take her to your quarters. If she wakes up try to keep her calm."

"One other thing. You will need inform your A.I. of what has transpired." Morinth added as she gathered Oriana into her arms.

"It's never easy." Shepard sighed to herself.

As Morinth left Sira gradually wavered into existence before her. As her avatar resolved itself a variety of expressions played across her face.

"Remarkable." Sira breathed. "That was the first time in my entire operational history that I have been completely offline. I believe the closest organic state would be unconsciousness. It will take me several minutes to completely reintegrate myself and your mind."

"Sira, I have something I need to tell you." Shepard began.

"You are extremely agitated Emma. Is something wrong?" Sira asked solicitously.

"Yes, while you were offline something happened. It seems that Morinth was impersonating Samara."

"As soon as my systems are restored I should be able to isolate her and eliminate her should it be necessary." Sira replied.

"That would be wholly unnecessary. Morinth is an agent of a Reaper, Nemesis. It's here in this void with us."

"We're in danger. I should take us to battle stations immediately."

"It's already too late for that." Shepard sighed. "Morinth took me to see the Reaper in person. It wants my help. It sees us as the proper evolutionary path for its species and its fellows as aberrations."

"You want to help a Reaper?" Sira asked in disbelief.

"What are we Sira?" Shepard asked.

"You're a human being and I am an AI construct based on your mind." Sira replied without hesitation.

"We are both in denial. What we are is a fusion of organic and mechanical. You enhanced me to serve as your counterpart. The only other thing in the galaxy that resembles us are the Reapers."

"That isn't true. They're machines." Sira replied shaking her head in denial.

"Nemesis showed me exactly what they are. The Reapers use organic consciousnesses to provide them with the experience and knowledge of many lifetimes. Those consciousnesses are all still aware but are held in check by the Reaper's machine intelligence. The Reapers are half organic and half machine. Much as we are. That was why they see us as kin."

"Your conclusions are flawed. We differ in our intentions. They seek to destroy while you and I seek to save." Sira reasoned.

"Our intentions are indeed what set us apart just as they are what sets this Reaper apart from its kin. This one seeks to allow sentient life to pursue a natural course of evolution into a form similar to the Reapers." Shepard explained.

"That sounds remarkably patient, for a Reaper." Sira responded in surprise.

"That was precisely what I thought. Unfortunately it has proven itself a less than trustworthy ally and I suspect we're in an alliance of convenience. It seemed genuine in its desire to make me trust it but it doesn't seem to trust me."

"Your mutual distrust is based on a history of antagonism. You might trust it too a point but you would never trust it implicitly." Sira opined.

"Probably true." Shepard conceded.

"I trust you Shepard and I trust your judgement. Turning the enemy to our side is a greater victory than simply destroying them. Just be careful they don't turn you to their side in the process."

"I'm glad that you still trust me. I don't think the rest of the crew would be quite as willing to accept our alliance."

"Given that they are only just becoming used to the idea of trusting an AI I would suspect that asking them to trust a Reaper would be a bit much. There will be a limit to how long we can keep the truth from them."

"I want to reveal it to them as soon as we escape from here. While we're in this situation I can't have anyone questioning my orders."

"What about Oriana? I have detected anomalous readings consistent with nanotechnology coming from her."  
"She was critically injured during my abduction. As a result she was infused with a colony of Reaper nanotechnology. We had both better pray that Nemesis doesn't feel like turning her into a puppet because I don't even want to think what Miranda would do to me if she ever found out." Shepard explained in a voice tinged with worry. If she was perfectly honest she was fare more worried about the prospect of having Oriana remain as Nemesis' agent.

"I will do what I can to deflect Miranda's suspicions but it will only be a matter of time before she will find out what has happened to Oriana."

"I know Sira. I know." Shepard sighed.

Sira's projection flashed into oblivion just as Shepard felt Sira's presence return to her mind once more. As she was leaving the AI core she almost ran directly into a concerned looking Miranda and Liara.  
"Shepard, where have you been all this time?" Miranda asked suspiciously.

Shepard suspected that the truth, that she had been abducted by a Reaper and forced to relive its 'birth', would not go over particularly well. Instead she opted for a noncommittal response.

"I was just insuring that Sira's restart went smoothly." Shepard replied in a dismissive tone of voice.

"During that blackout we lost contact with most sections of the ship but we did record several strange readings in the AI core and the hangar deck. There was an unusually powerful EM flux in the core and one of the shuttles mysteriously disappeared from the manifest before reappearing an hour later." Liara reported. "We were only wondering if you knew anything about the situation."

"The EM flux was likely a by-product of Sira's restart. The missing shuttle does have me worried. We might have been boarded while our systems were offline." Shepard replied, knowing full well that the EM flux had been Nemesis.

"We can organize what's left of the security team into search groups and have them sweep the ship." Miranda replied in a slightly worried tone of voice. "I just wish I knew where Oriana was. I haven't seen or heard from her since this whole mess started."

"We should make finding her a priority especially if we have intruders on board." Shepard said, by way of assuaging Miranda's worries.

"I had better get back to the bridge and coordinate the search." Miranda concluded before quickly retracing her steps.

Liara surreptitiously waited until Miranda had left her alone with Shepard before speaking.

"We have much to discuss here Emma."

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"It might have something to do with the abusive relationship you have found yourself in." Liara noted with a mock serious expression which hid a deeply concerned asari. "Making an alliance with _it_ might be pragmatic in the short term but in the end it will consume us just as surely as it consumed all those souls to fuel its own birth."

"You know about Nemesis." Shepard breathed in shock. "How?"

"It seemed to want me to go through the same set of experiences as you did without actually giving me any control. I was there with you the whole time. I think it knew that and wanted me to see what happened. That thing is a master manipulator."

"Why didn't it tell me?" Shepard asked in disbelief.

"It's toying with us Emma. It said that it was monitoring your reactions. I think it still is monitoring your reactions. It wants to know what makes you tick."

"And you're part of what makes me tick." Shepard said, concluding Liara's thought. Liara coloured slightly at Shepard's admission.

"I suppose you're right. What are you going to do now?"

"What would you have me do? Confront it? I tried that. It didn't work."

"It is a Reaper it is has a wholly alien conception of the world. We can no more relate to it than it can relate to us. Perhaps this is normal behaviour for a Reaper." Liara offered.

"I just wish it would act more like an organic." Shepard fumed.

"For now we must hope that Nemesis will gradually evolve and that we can make it through this experiment with our minds intact."

"We still have to find out what it has planned for Oriana. Miranda is going to have my head if Oriana isn't back to normal."

Liara merely nodded as she fell into step with Shepard. The duo quickly made their way back towards the quarters Shepard had assigned to Morinth when she had first arrived aboard the ship. Stepping into the quarters Shepard was unsurprised to find Morinth waiting for them.  
"You tricked me." Shepard accused.

"Of course." Morinth replied almost proudly. "We must be sure that the trust you place in us will last through adversities such as the ones you have encountered since your return."

"It's not enough to have me trust you want me to have blind faith in your cause!" Shepard retorted angrily.

"Blind faith would be an asset." Morinth replied.

"You are rapidly eroding whatever trust I had in you to begin with. You're no better than your mad kindred."

"Insults will get you nowhere. You claim to know better than us how to proceed just as all younger races do. In the end that arrogance has been reduced to dust."

"You're playing with me." Shepard interrupted.

"Only to drive home the one inescapable truth of the universe."

"And what might that be?"

"Control is an illusion even for us. We are just as much subject to the whims of others as you are. We have demonstrated just how much we can upset your carefully crafted existence. We have been able to totally shatter your notion of control of your body, your mind, your ship, your crew and your reality and we have done so in less than an hour."

"So this was some sort of lesson?" Shepard asked in disbelief.

"In this conflict you must be able to adapt to having your control of the situation shattered. It is this truth that you must always be aware of. There will be other truths that you will have to discover along our journey."

"This entire situation was to prove a point to me."

"We told you once and we shall tell you again you are our younger sister. You will have a long road ahead of you if you wish to triumph over the rest of my kind."

"How do I know you aren't still playing with me?" Shepard asked.

"You don't. You must be prepared for adversity to come from both your 'allies' and your enemies. Similarly you must be prepared for generosity from both."

"I'll never get a straight answer from you?" Shepard groaned.

"No."

"What about Oriana? Will I get her back?" Shepard asked.

"She is substantially undamaged. She will recover soon. We have restored her memory to the point that she will remember waiting for you to enter the AI core. You can restore all of her memories with a specific phrase. We would advise you to restore her memories as soon as we escape our current predicament. She could prove to be an asset given the degree of genetic engineering combined with our nanotechnology."

"So long as she isn't going to turn into a mechanized skeleton I suppose I should say thank you."

Morinth paused for a moment. Shepard's comment had taken both the asari and her mechanical counterpart by surprise.

"We merely acted in the most efficacious manner possible in the situation."

"You saved her life all the same and that merits a show of appreciation."

"You are welcome." Morinth replied hesitantly.

"Never underestimate the capacity for the pupil to teach the master." Shepard replied smugly.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: We're back and finally heading deeper into the graveyard both literally and metaphorically. Keep an eye peeled for the Homeworld reference in this chapter. Thank you to all who have reviewed and continue to enjoy the story. As a final note on the title, Rhadamanthus is the name of a greek god who sits in judgement in the underworld. The title was actually meant to refer to a character who was supposed to appear in this chapter but will be appearing instead in the next one. Also brace yourselves for a meeting with _the Mother_ in the next chapter.(note: not the same one as was on Noveria)

Chapter XXVII: Rhadamanthus

Morinth's response to Shepard's final comment was completely cut off as she was hurled to the ground by a fierce vibration. Shepard and Liara were not exempted from the vibration as they were both hurled to the ground. Regaining her footing Shepard easily guessed that the _Voice_ was under attack. Sira flashed into existence immediately to announce exactly that reality.

"We need to get to the bridge!" Shepard ordered after Sira had announced that they were under attack by unknown assailants.

Marshalling themselves the group made quick progress through the habitation decks towards the bridge, thwarted only by the occasional shocks of weapons impacts on the barriers.

Upon reaching the bridge Shepard easily took charge, barking out commands to the assembled crew.

"Alright, I want a firing solution on the enemy ships. Aim to disable only." Shepard ordered Garrus before moving on to Miranda, "Miranda, see what you can do about establishing communications. I want know why they were firing on us. Joker keep up those evasive manoeuvres."

"I'll try skipper but those ships are pretty fast and their pilots know what they're doing." Joker shouted back.

"Are you telling me you're going to be out flown by people you've only just met?" Shepard ribbed.

"I think they're more like people I've never met before." Joker replied tartly.

"Would someone please get me a profile on our assailants?" Shepard ordered as the ship shook from another impact.

An image of a frigate rapidly resolved itself as it was imaged by successive passes of the ship's LADAR. To Shepard's trained eye the enemy ship bespoke a predatory culture. The vessel was configured with its engines mounted flush in a single wing located near the ship's bow. The main hull gently tapered off towards the rear of the vessel. The vessel was unlike anything Shepard had seen in her years of sailing the cosmos and she was certain that Sira had not seen its like. With a wave her hand she shifted the image from a schematic to a tactical plot. As she watched the more manoeuvrable frigate altered its course away from the dreadnaught.

"Joker, pursuit course!"

"Aye, Aye Ma'am. Right into the lion's mouth again." Joker replied, muttering the last part under his breath.

The _Voice of Memory_ rapidly picked up speed and swung around to pursue the now fleeing frigate.

"Firing solution in one minute." Garrus announced.

"Miranda, order them to surrender." Shepard commanded.

Miranda was about to carry out Shepard's order when she noticed a change in the sensor display.

"We have new contacts incoming." She shouted.

Shepard quickly readdressed her attention to the plot. It was clear that the frigate had led them into a trap. A group of four mismatched cruisers were barrelling directly for the _Voice_. The cruisers were something Shepard was sure that she could handle, their companion trailing behind them was something that worried her. To describe the vessel trailing the cruisers as a dreadnaught would have been something of a understatement. It was at least as large as the _Voice_ and bristled with weapons emplacements. The vessel itself looked ancient with numerous pieces of mismatching technology welded on to its hull but its appearance would do nothing to detract from its combat potential.

"Reverse course, deploy countermeasures and engage the stealth systems." Shepard barked.

The crew scrambled to comply with her order as the _Voice_ executed a sharp turn away from the advancing warships.

"Report!" Shepard demanded, "Is the stealth system working?"

"The stealth systems are active and the hull is beginning to cool but the engines are still radiating enough heat to make us detectable." Sira reported back.

"Cut all thrust in twenty seconds and make sure that the hull is blacked out." Shepard ordered.

Several seconds later the dreadnaught's engines went dark as it proceeded to drift. The pursuing vessels continued to speed towards the now inert dreadnaught.

"The moment of truth." Shepard whispered.

Her prayers were answered as first one then the rest of the cruisers went screaming past, continuing along the _Voice_'s last heading. Moments later the dreadnaught lumbered by.

"Talk about dodging the bullet." Miranda sighed in relief.

"We still have to get out of here." Shepard reminded her XO. "Joker, turn us away from those warships and take us away from here."

Joker responded with a swift nod as he brought the dreadnaught around and away from the other vessels. On the bridge there was a collective sigh of relief as the contacts gradually vanished from the plot; out of detection range.

"Continue to run silent for the next hour then vent the heat sinks." Shepard finally ordered. "Now we just need to figure out how to stop another ambush like that."

"We could set up a perimeter using sensor drones." Miranda suggested.

"Good idea. When we return to our original position you can set up the perimeter while we figure out what to do next."

"Shepard, we have an intermittent contact dead astern." Liara chimed in.

"What have we got?" Shepard asked as she joined Liara at the sensors station.

"While we were under attack I noticed a small intermittent heat signature on the passive detection sensors. I originally dismissed it as an error with the sensors but as soon as our attackers left I noticed that the signature was mirroring our course. It is also only 1000 kilometres directly astern."

"That's a respectable distance away assuming that it is a ship." Miranda commented. "We could paint it with the LADAR and see what comes back."

"That would give our position away." Shepard replied, deep in thought. "Liara, can you direct a tight band transmission directly at the target. Give them a standard series of mathematical problems to see if they are intelligent. Let's see how they react."

"Alright." Liara responded, distractedly as she punched a number of commands into the haptic display. "Here we go."

Moments later the console pinged with the receipt of incoming data. The proper responses to the mathematical problems flashed up on Liara's display followed by a series of stellar reference coordinates. The three women stared at the glowing numbers in amazement.

"We seem to have made contact with something intelligent." Liara remarked, breaking the silence.

"It may be another trap." Miranda added cautiously. "The denizens of this place seem to have a marked fondness for this sort of tactic."

"Trap or no we have tp make direct contact with at least some of the other beings trapped in this region. FTL is out of the question which means we have to find another way out of this region and that means finding someone who can tell us about it. Liara, pass the coordinates on to Joker and have him plot a course."

As Shepard moved back to her position on the bridge Miranda accosted her.

"Shepard, before we came under attack I had been wondering if you had found Oriana."

"She was knocked out as we entered this region. She seems alright and I would think that she's still resting for the moment." Shepard surmised.

"That's a relief." Miranda sighed. "It's such a strange feeling to go from being responsible only for my own actions or those under my command to watching out for Oriana."

"Family is different." Shepard commented quietly, as her gaze trailed back towards Liara.

"I suppose so." Miranda conceded thoughtfully.

"Anyway, Oriana should be alright. For the moment we have to concern ourselves more with getting out of here."

"Agreed." Miranda responded, snapping back to issues at hand. "The coordinates are over an hour away."

"We should switch up the bridge crew and take the time to run diagnostics on Sira's systems."

The journey to the coordinates took substantially longer than an hour and it was nearing five hours when they finally appeared to be arriving at their destination. Over the course of the journey the contact had periodically sent revised sets of coordinates. Shepard had arrived at the conclusion that they were actually traversing some sort of minefield. Miranda had gone off watch to see Oriana under the watchful and ghostlike eye of Morinth. Joker had been relieved by Justina while Garrus had, at Shepard's request, also returned to his quarters. Liara had faithfully remained at Shepard's side though exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on both of them. The two had been looking out over the starless night when their destination finally appeared in the sky before them.

From the darkness they were able to gradually discern a cluster of lights which began to grow more defined as they approached. The closer they drew to the lights the more definite the shape became. To Shepard's keen eye it appeared to be some sort of dockyard. Pieces of various ships had been melded together to create a smooth and ordered superstructure under which numerous spidery docking berths illuminated their various occupants. Some were as small as frigates while others seemed to rival the _Voice_ in size. Surprisingly the vessels in the docking slips ranged in age with some seemingly brand new.

"Impressive. It almost seems bigger than Martian shipyards." Marisa remarked as she joined Shepard and Liara in gazing at the massive dockyard.

"I would have never believed that something so large could exist in such a lifeless region of space." Liara remarked, echoing Marisa's amazement.

As they continued to watch a sleek frigate, which had evidently been their silent escort, rocketed past them towards the dockyard.

"We are receiving berthing instructions from the dockyard." Sira reported.

"We've come this far and I intend to follow this through. Initiate docking sequence and have the ground team meet us in the airlock ante-chamber." Shepard ordered as she headed for the lift. Liara joined her after hesitating for a moment in considering the bulk of the dockyard before them.

After having made a quick stop at their quarters for armour and weapons Shepard and Liara joined their team at the airlock. Miranda was the last to arrive. Her face bore a worried frown.

"Everything alright?" Shepard asked conversationally as she checked the safety on her pistol.

"I suppose so. Oriana was still resting when I left. She seemed normal enough while she was awake." Miranda answered in confusion.

"So what's wrong?" Shepard prodded.

"There was something different about Oriana. She seemed to lose her train of thought. When I brought up what was happening she had the most unusual grasp of the situation in the graveyard." Miranda elaborated worriedly.

Shepard barely stifled a groan. The sooner that she could bring everyone into the loop the better it would be for all of them.

"That sounds suspicious. As soon as we get out of here we'll sort out what's happened with Oriana." Shepard reassured. "Oriana may well have been exposed to a mild concentration of nanotechnology and these might just be the side effects. It's probably harmless."

Miranda appeared to visibly blanche at the suggestion. "I sincerely hope she hasn't been exposed to anything like that. Who knows what it might do to her!" Miranda shot back.

"She'll be alright, I promise that to you. I was only suggesting one very remote possibility. For the moment we have to focus." Shepard reminded her XO.

"Of course Shepard." Miranda replied in a businesslike tone though her expression betrayed her worry.

The conversation was interrupted as the console beside the airlock chimed to announce that a connection had been made. Garrus and Liselle moved to take point as Shepard, Miranda, and Liara made up the middle of the group. Tali, Legion and Minari brought up the rear of the party. As Shepard stepped out of the airlock she was surprised to find the interior of the dockyard to be in excellent condition. The walls were a soft brownish colour while the lighting was a soft orange. The receiving area was singularly non descript with seating and a few displays adorning the walls, there was even a set of alien looking plants flanking a security checkpoint. The checkpoint was fully staffed with a motley assortment of aliens in full body armour. It came as something of a surprise to see a quartet of large reddish rachni warriors joining the more humanoid aliens.

"Rachni?" Liara questioned in surprise. Out of the entire team Liara had been the only one to accompany Shepard on the mission to Noveria's Peak 15 facility.

"It would seem so." Shepard whispered back as she cradled her assault rifle in a non-threatening position.

The two groups seemed to size each other up for several minutes before the dockyard's security team gradually began to relax. Shepard waved her own team's weaponry down in an attempt to ensure that tensions did not escalate. One of the hatches to the rest of the facility hissed open to admit a trio of what appeared to be administrators. Their leader was a petite asari.

"Welcome to Karos. I am Isri the chief diplomat on board. I usually greet the new arrivals when they arrive but I was unfortunately detained. I do hope you weren't inconvenienced by our security detail. Might I have the honour of your name and species?" The cheerful asari greeted.

Shepard was stunned by the totally calm and friendly demeanour of the asari. It wasn't at all what she had been expecting. From the looks on the faces of the rest of her team she could see her feelings were being echoed.

"Emma Shepard, human, captain of the _Voice of Memory_, pleased to make your acquaintance Isri." Shepard replied politely.

"You are the first of your kind to arrive here and we are all pleased to make your acquaintance."

"You seem awfully calm about meeting us. How did you know that we would be friendly?" Shepard asked, barely able to conceal her confusion.

"You would not be the first newcomers to arrive at Karos. Species have been coming to Karos since long before either of our races existed. The facility is old beyond measure. It is the only safe harbour in the wastes of Tartarus. For as long as we have lived here we have sought to give safe harbour to the unfortunates who have found themselves washed up upon this shore." Isri explained. "We are well equipped to repel any sort of attack. You are standing behind a barrier curtain as we speak. There are also a dozen gun batteries pointed at your vessel. If you show any sign of being hostile you would be dead before you could even blink."

"Well I certainly don't intend to make any sudden moves after hearing that." Shepard joked, loosening her hold on her rifle.

"I am glad to hear that. Until we can be sure of your motivations I am afraid that only you one other can board Karos proper and you must do so unarmed and unarmoured." Isri said regretfully. "We do apologize for the inconvenience but we must be careful."

"Of course. I assume when we do as you ask we will be allowed to meet with your leaders?"

"You certainly will. I would make a request if you would allow it."

"By all means."

"It is a simple request. We would wish the other asari that you spoke with earlier to accompany you."

"You want Liara to accompany me?" Shepard asked cocking her head in confusion.

"I assure that our intentions are entirely honourable and your acquiescence would do much to hasten your acceptance into our community." Isri replied sincerely.

"Very well. We shall return in one hour. I assume that meets with your approval."

"Perfectly acceptable." Isri stated with a disarming smile.

Shepard waved her team back to the ship. Once they were back aboard everyone began to speak at once. Some of the team were convinced that it was a trap. Others advocated trusting Isri and her fellows. Shepard allowed the arguments to continue for a moment before raising her hand to demand quiet.

"We all know the situation. My decision has placed us in the unfortunate position of being forced to trust these people. The responsibility for getting all of us out of here rests with me and for the moment only my life is on the line."

"We all know that isn't quite the case. Sira will go berserk if you die." Miranda reminded.

"I concede that point. We have no choice but acquiesce for the moment. I'm going back aboard in an hour I want the rest of you to stay on alert. If this goes horribly wrong then I want all of you to be ready to ensure that the ship remains safe."

"You aren't going in their alone Emma." Liara interrupted.

"I wasn't about to volunteer you Liara."

"I know, but since we were both requested I'm hardly going to be allowed to sit this one out."

"Well that settles that. The rest of you should return to your stations. Keep everyone else aboard abreast of what's been happening."

As the team began to disperse to the rest of the ship Liara joined Shepard on their way back to their quarters.

"You look worried Emma."

"We're about to board a station filled with an assortment of armed aliens armed with nothing but our biotics. If I were you I would be worried if I was acting normally." Shepard joked in an off handed manner.

Liara merely sighed at her lover's nervous tension. For all of her composure Shepard was just as much prey to anxiety as any other human, she was just better at hiding it. No-one knew this better than Liara.

"By this point our luck must be bound to change Emma." Liara consoled. "Given the odds it would be high time that we ran into a friendly alien race."

"Given the degree that we seem to run into the same problems I would have to agree with you that, according to the odds, we are about due for a steady run of friendly races." Shepard replied with a smile.

"Why do you think Isri asked for me specifically?" Liara asked turning serious.

"It could be any one of a number of reasons but frankly I don't have any sort of solid idea."

Liara nodded. "I suppose it could have been worse."

"How do you suppose?"

"They could have been Reapers intent on putting you through the mental wringer, again."

"You, my love, have inherited my warped sense of humour." Shepard replied as they returned to their quarters.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: This is a somewhat more concise chapter. I debated stretching it out to include the actual dinner and its aftermath but I decided against it as the ending in this chapter feels more natural. The next section will take a bit longer to write but hopefully not too long. This is a more peaceful chapter as is the one to follow. Action and an escape from Tartarus are likely to be a little way away yet. I have also opened the story to unsigned reviews (I think) so a few reviews from new voices would not go amiss. For the rest don't stop reviewing or enjoying the story!

Chapter XXVIII: Into Karos

An hour later Shepard and Liara were back aboard Karos once more armed with only their wits. Isri was waiting for them. After exchanging pleasantries and a quick weapons scan Isri gestured for them to follow her into Karos proper. As they made their way through a series of non-descript hallways Shepard and Liara exchanged glances. They were both unnerved at how confident Isri and her colleagues were. The hallways soon gave way to something far more impressive. As they rounded a corner Shepard marvelled at the vast concourse that they had just entered. The concourse stretched as far as Shepard's eye could see. The concourse also stretched deep into the bowels of the facility and was crisscrossed with walkways and clusters of towers. For Shepard, who had seen the marvels of Earth, the Citadel and Ilos, it was breathtaking. Isri seemed to savour her guests awe at the scope of the concourse.

"Impressive isn't it?" Isri stated with a hint of pride. "The bazaar stretches the length of the Karos. It is also home to half a million residents of all species."

"This is home for your people?" Shepard asked.

"When not aboard our ships it is. Here we have everything that we need. The concourse has been gradually expanded as Karos grew. We'll be heading for the Grand Spire which is the seat of our government."

"It sounds almost as though you think of yourselves as a nation." Liara interjected. "Do the various races that live here not disagree with one another and attempt to retain their own hierarchies of leadership?"

"Many of the peoples who first arrive here do attempt to hold on to the trappings of their former lives but in a place where all must strive together to survive it soon becomes pointless."

"You make it sound like utopia." Shepard added incredulously.

Isri turned to face Shepard. "What would you call an outpost of sanity in an ocean of madness and disorder?"

"I meant no offence." Shepard apologized hastily.

"No has been taken. Karos is a utopia for its residents. We all work together in common cause. Those who do not work with us are expelled back into the void with what they arrived with. None may say that we cruel but we are just."

The party lapsed into silence once more as they headed towards a tram bound for the Grand Spire. As they stepped on board the tram set off with barely a hint of movement.

The journey was over almost before it had begun and Isri led them towards into the spire. The designers almost seemed to have been thinking of surpassing the Citadel Tower for shear majesty. The party passed through a tree lined pathway as they headed towards their destination. The Spire was abuzz with conversations between various alien races. Here and there Shepard was able to spot some familiar alien races but most were unknown to her. Strangely enough as she passed by an alien her mind unconsciously supplied her with its species name. Shepard shook her head briefly and shrugged off the feeling. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Isri but she said nothing to either Shepard or Liara. The trio soon arrived at a large open shaft which vanished into the upper reaches of the tower.

"This would be the ascension shaft to the higher levels of the Spire." Isri informed them. "It is completely safe. All you need to do is step into the shaft."

Liara shot a worried glance at Shepard who merely shrugged and took Liara's hand in a reassuring manner. The two followed Isri into the shaft. As they stood at the bottom the two felt a peculiar tugging sensation which was quickly superseded by a rush of energy. In an instant Shepard's vision was deluged with a wash of colour. As abruptly as the whole experience began it was over and with a slight thump the two were deposited on their destination floor of the spire. Shepard took a shaky breath after the experience. It felt somewhat like taking a trip through a mass relay only without the protection of a ship.

"It takes some getting used to. The shafts are based on the same principle as a mass relay." Isri explained. "We find that it helps us reach our destinations much faster than taking a conventional elevator."

"That was bracing." Shepard joked which received a shaky nod from Liara.

"If you'll follow me to the audience chamber we'll be meeting with one of the Executors of Karos."

The floor that they had arrived on bespoke majesty and leadership. Paintings of various historical and sometimes quite alien events adorned the walls of the rooms that they passed through. Conversations were hushed and the sentients who worked on the floor all appeared quite industrious. Isri drew them towards a set of double doors which receded into the wall as she approached.

As the trio entered the audience chamber they found it to be fairly dark. Light spilled from a few recessed fixtures but in general it did little to throw anything into sharp relief. The whole effect gave the room a surreal quality.

"Someone wishes to speak to the two of you. I will be acting as their intermediary. Do not be alarmed by any changes in my demeanour. I assure that I have undertaken this joining many times." Isri warned them before moving away into the shadows.

Shepard and Liara waited expectantly. When Isri returned to them there was something unmistakeably different.

"Shepard, we have brought you here to discuss something very dear to us." Isri murmured. When she spoke it was as though many voices chorused with her. It was a sound which was very familiar to Shepard.

"Who am I speaking with?" Shepard asked, though she already knew the answer.

"We are mother. We sing for those alone in the light of Karos." Isri stated. "We are Rachni."

To punctuate Isri's statement the massive bulk of the Rachni queen manoeuvred itself to Isri's side.

"Are you one of the original Rachni queens?" Liara asked breaking the silence.

"We are not. Mother sang to us of danger and betrayal. Sent us away to be safe. We were among many. Now we are alone. Alone with our children. We sing to you now in a way that makes you comfortable."

"She's just like the queen on Noveria." Liara whispered to Shepard.

"We brought you to us because we heard you recognized us. Your songs betrayed familiarity. Tell us, do others of us still sing beyond the light of Karos and the darkness of Tartarus."

"There is one other who still sings." Shepard replied mimicking the Rachni's form of speech.

"We must know of her song. We seek a boon from both of you."

"What is it you wish of us?" Shepard asked.

"We wish to sing to you."

"I'm not sure I understand. I thought you were singing to us." Liara asked, putting words to Shepard's confusion.

"We wish not only to sing to you but to hear your songs. We can only do this if you let us. For one brief moment in time we shall sing in unison."

"You want to join our minds." Liara realized.

"I'm not sure about this." Shepard added worriedly. "Might we have a moment to discuss it."

"We shall wait here for you to achieve harmony."

Shepard edged into the shadow followed by Liara.

"Well Emma, what do you think?"

"I'm not sure. It was one thing to spare the Rachni queen on Noveria. She wasn't trying to sing to me or have me sing for her."

"It isn't as though we're not used to sharing our thoughts."

"With each other."

"And Sira, and Archon, and now Nemesis. When I fell in love with you I had no idea your mind was going to become so busy."

"If it's any consolation neither did I. I just started out as a simple human girl and look at me now. I don't even know how to describe myself. It isn't the prospect of having the queen in my mind that worries me so much as what she would see there."

"You think she would see everything that you had done?"

"Yes. To know another being's mind is the ultimate expression of power over them. What about you? Are you prepared to have an alien know everything that you know?"

"An alien already knows everything I know." Liara replied with a hint of smile creeping into her expression.

Shepard returned her smile. "Are we sure?"

"I would be more of a crime not to share what we know."

Their minds made up they returned to the Rachni queen and Isri.

"We will sing together." Shepard intoned solemnly.

"Thank you both." Isri replied. "It will take a few moments for us to attain a harmony of melodies. Attempt to quiet your own melodies in the meantime."

Shepard did as asked and she had the sensation that Liara was doing the same. Drifting into a receptive state had become almost second nature to Shepard as she had repeatedly practiced the technique with Sira. After several seconds Shepard became aware of a soft melody pervading her consciousness. The melody was very familiar to her though its form had changed. With a flash of realization Shepard became aware that she was hearing Liara's thoughts as though she were a rachni. Instead of meaning being ascribed by language it was being conveyed by musical tones which also evoked light and colour. Shepard focused her thoughts on attempting to reach out to the rachni queen. At the very edge of her consciousness she discovered an alien melody. The melody conveyed so many concepts and thoughts that it took her breath away. Much like Nemesis it was a melody composed of many voices singing in perfect unison. As she focussed the melody began to grow more complex and distinct. As she continued to listen individual motifs much like thoughts and emotions gradually began to become clear to her. The rachni queen was feeling anxiety at finally finding out what had happened to her species. The music became expectant. Shepard realized that she was expected share her song with the queen. Not knowing what else to do Shepard concentrated on the memories of Noveria.

As she remembered seeing the queen for the first time Shepard found that her memories were being subtly altered. Rather than thinking of words to describe her feelings she found colours and harmonies in their places. Upon seeing the queen she felt a reddish discordance followed by a white panic at seeing the asari commando rise from the dead. At the rachni queen's speech Shepard found herself running through a variety of colours from grey suspicion to a greenish sympathy for the queen. As the debate gradually reached its inevitable conclusion Shepard realized that while she had been communicating with the queen's asari the queen had been singing to her as well. The manipulation had born the subtle desperation of a being who held their race's future in their hands. Shepard found that she could bear the queen no malice for what she had done. If the roles had been reversed Shepard would have done the same thing. With that realization the song ended. The melody receded into silence and Shepard was alone once more.

...

With a soft clank Shepard settled back onto the decking. While she had been meditating her biotics had flared elevating her to a floating position. Strangely she felt no exhaustion from the entire experience. Liara likewise seemed relatively unaffected. The rachni queen and Isri on the other hand were staring deeply at them.

"Shepard, we are indebted to you. For the first time in living memory we have heard our sister's song. You have also been instrumental in allowing the song to continue. For that we owe you a great debt." Isri said in a hushed voice. "Thank you for singing with us."

"I think both Liara and I are glad to have brought you some measure of peace."

"Before the threads of the melody change we must entrust you with several notes. Your melody is unique among all others. You resonate with the melodies of others but your own overpowers them all. Even after your melody has been lost to the memory of the galaxy it will continue to be heard. Few will understand it but all will hear it. It is timeless. You must draw strength from this even when you feel crushed by the black silence."

"How can you know this?" Shepard asked in disbelief although a frustration at the cryptic nature of the queen's comments also gnawed at her.

"When you have heard as many songs as we you will understand. Now we must rest. Once again our gratitude."

Despite her confusion Shepard took this as her queue to leave the queen's presence. The doors slid open to allow her and Liara to pass before sliding shut once more.

"Another prophecy! I seem to be a magnet for them." Shepard fumed.

"I would suspect that it comes with the territory." Liara said.

"Why couldn't she just tell me what she meant in plain English? Singing it to me would have made more sense."

"It's best not to overly concern yourself with prophecy. When the time is right it will make sense to you and not before."

"Now you're doing it." Shepard gasped in mock horror.

"Are all humans as immature as you?" Liara groaned.

"Just me." Shepard replied leaning in to give Liara a quick peck.

They were both interrupted as a somewhat fatigued Isri emerged from the queen's chamber.

"That was considerably more draining than usual." Isri sighed. "It appears you have already done us a great service."

"If you're talking about saving the rachni I wasn't about to commit genocide. It wouldn't have been right."

"Regardless of what your motivations were you have my thanks as well. It has given her a measure of peace that I have not seen in her for centuries." Isri stated in a matter of fact tone.

"What happens now?" Liara asked.

"We do have a formal dinner to attend where you will meet with the rest of the Executors. There a discussion of what you desire from us and we desire of you and your crew can be entertained. We should hurry as I suspect that we are already late." Isri elaborated.

Shepard nodded in acceptance and allowed Isri to lead them back to the ascension shaft. After another quick and unnerving ascent Shepard and Liara found themselves on another, higher, level of the spire. Isri led them through another series of hallways with a familiarity born of a life spent in that building. They came to halt in front of another set of doors much like those of the queen's chamber. Isri motioned for them to wait as she entered the room alone. Several moments later she returned and ushered them into the dining chamber.

The chamber itself was an observation bubble presenting a view of the surrounding space. The bubble itself presented the illusion of stars in the sky which gave Shepard a feeling of normalcy she had not felt since entering Tartarus. A single long table dominated the room. The table had a number of dishes strategically placed on it as well as sporting a series of softly glowing crystal formations. The occupants were a mixed grouping who were standing near the table in an expectant knot. There were roughly six of them including Isri.

"Introductions are in order." Isri began as she waved Shepard and Liara over to the Executors.

"Matriarch Nidea." Isri introduced as she gestured to an elder asari.

"Executor Sa-Sihna is one of the Medrathi. They have been here for several millennia making their species one of the older ones on Karos." Isri continued introducing a bipedal alien with roughly humanoid features, scaly grey skin and a set of piercing red eyes.

"Provost Nitholm is one of Navara. Their race is denoted not so much as by a unique physiology as an acceptance of the Navara gestalt consciousness through an implantation procedure. I'm sure that the Provost would be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have."

Isri continued with her introductions of the other councillors who were all just as alien as Nitholm and Sa-Sihna had been. Shepard was taken aback when she reached the final Executor. The being was just as pale and wispy as Shepard had remembered them as being.

"Finally allow me to introduce Executrix Ariadne of the Nyx." Isri finished.

"You seem more surprised to see me than the other Executors Captain Shepard." Ariadne intoned in a soothing voice.

"I'm sorry Executrix it's just that I've had occasion to relive some of your species' memories and I have one of them serving on my crew. That is after a fashion." Shepard hastened to add.

"That would be quite remarkable. I must express my doubt at the veracity of your statements given that we know for a fact that the Reapers have destroyed my species and the others who have come before and after us." Ariadne replied in a frosty tone.

"I assure you that I speak the truth. I know that your race exists primarily as a disembodied consciousness and that you exist in a symbiotic relationship with your host form."

"That is an impressive degree of knowledge for one who should know nothing of our race. I am prepared to hear more and meet this crewmember of yours at a later date but I believe that the others grow weary of our conversation. Let us proceed with the meal."


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: We're back with a triple length chapter! I hope that this compensates for the lack of activity over the past several weeks. This chapter concludes the crew's time in Tartarus. Oriana learns the truth about what happened to her. Shepard unravels a little more of the mystery behind the origin of the Reapers. As always the chapter title references something else, in this case the name of a ship. Finally, if it isn't overmuch to ask please REVIEW this chapter. Not a single review for the last chapter was indescripably disheartening and disheartening means no more progress with the story. So without further ado on with the story

Chapter XXIX: A Village of Stone

The dinner was almost over by the time the Executors finally broached the subject of what they had wanted from Shepard and her crew. By the end of the meal Shepard had already begun to suspect what their goals were.

"It is quite simple Captain." Ariadne began after Shepard had raised the topic. "We want you and your crew to stay with us here on Karos. Your ship would make a worthy addition to our forces here and would have a safe harbour in Tartarus. We would see it as a mutually beneficial arrangement."

The other shoe drops, Shepard thought to herself. The Executors were considering her expectantly. Even Liara had turned to consider her response.

"While it does grieve me to have to reject your offer out of hand circumstances dictate that I have no choice. I am sorry, but I can make you a counter offer that I assure would be most interesting."

"And what would that be?" Isri asked sceptically.

"I can get us out of here." Shepard replied simply.

"That is a bold claim to make." Sa-Sihna grated. "We have heard such claims before. They have usually been the preface for some sort of attempt to get resources from us. Resources which could be better used elsewhere."

"Unfortunately committing resources are necessary for any operation to be successful. Our species has a saying 'nothing ventured nothing gained'." Shepard argued back.

"So what exactly is it that you need Captain?" Ariadne asked playing the part of mediator.

"We need a vessel which will attract the attention of one of Tartarus' drones. I intend to allow it to be salvaged and to follow it back to its home base."

"What makes you think that you would be anymore successful than those who have gone before you?" Sa-Sihna prodded.

"I have two of the most advanced dreadnaughts known to sentient life at my command." Shepard shot back rankled by the Executor's insinuations.

"Two dreadnaughts?" Isri asked in surprise.

"Indeed. The other is waiting for me outside whatever barrier shields Karos."

"There is only one ship that would stand a chance of accomplishing the mission that you have planned." Nitholm interjected in a musical voice. "We all know what vessel that is."

"What do you think it would be?" Shepard asked unwilling to be drawn out by the council.

"The Reaper." Nitholm replied with a hint of smugness.

"You would claim to command the demon ship?" Sa-Sihna asked suspiciously.

"I have entered into an alliance with the Reaper, yes." Shepard confessed.

The table erupted in accusations and arguments immediately. It seemed that the executors were divided in their opinions about the Reaper and Shepard. Eventually Ariadne motioned for silence before returning her attention to Shepard.

"The Reapers have brought many of our species to their premature ends. We have little sympathy for them or their servants." Ariadne proclaimed coldly. "We cannot afford to aid you and even if we could we would not. This audience is over."

Shepard sighed. To her there seemed to be little point in arguing with beings whose minds were already made up. She rose from the table followed by Liara. The Executors regarded the two of them with a cold gaze.

"With or without your help I will escape from here." Shepard promised.

"We will not help Reaper thralls." Ariadne shot back.

With Ariadne's words still ringing in her ears Shepard left the Executors behind. It took them only a few minutes to find their way out of the Grand Spire but finding their way back to the docking port was going to prove slightly more difficult without a guide.

"Maybe we should have waited for Isri?" Liara asked as they stepped off the tram in yet another unfamiliar location.

"I don't think Isri was about to help us find our way back to the ship." Shepard replied mentally berating herself for leaving without a guide or, better yet, even mentioning Nemesis.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Isri interrupted as she stepped on to the tram platform with them.

"I thought we were persona non grata here?" Shepard asked.

"Persona non grata?" Isri asked in confusion.

"It's a human expression that means we aren't wanted."

"The rest of the council may be blinded by what you represented but some of us aren't quite as a narrow minded."

"So you want to help us?" Liara asked.

"My faction of the council can arrange for some appropriate 'bait' to be provided for you. We understand that you have to escape. All we ask is that you do what you can to help us get out of here."

"We'll do what we can. What about you? You aren't going to get into to trouble for defying the rest of the council?"

"Hardly. We have moved against the council in the past. They accept it after a fashion as it allows them to keep their own hands clean. No matter how perfect the society a government will become complacent and unwilling to accept change especially if the status quo is what is keeping the society running smoothly." Isri confided as she handed over a datapad with a series of coordinates. "I had better get you back to your ship before the rest of the council decides to arrest you and intern your ship."

...

Isri had been as good as her word in guiding Shepard and Liara back to the ship. Isri had left the two of them with a simple nod. The two crossed back to the _Voice of Memory _with scarcely a word exchanged between them. Miranda was waiting to greet them as they returned to the ship with an expectant look.

"It could have gone better." Liara said simply.

"It could have gone worse." Shepard corrected.

"Do the two of you get some sort of perverse pleasure in speaking like the chorus from a Greek tragedy?" Miranda groaned.

Shepard glanced over at Liara with a slightly grin. Annoying Miranda was rapidly becoming one of the few pleasant diversions left to her. Still, the mission came first and insuring that Miranda was left in the loop was part of that mission.

"The ruling body of Karos wasn't exactly pleased with us but they did agree to help us after a fashion."

"How exactly?"

"They agreed to provide us with some sort of bait for one of the drones that populates this system. When it returns to its home base we can attack it and hopefully find a way out of here." Shepard explained, reiterating her plan to Miranda. "Liara has the coordinates for our rendezvous."

"We should get moving." Miranda concluded.

"I have one or two things to take care of first. You can take us to the coordinates Miranda." Shepard replied evasively.

"Where are you going?" Miranda asked in confusion.

"It's a matter of shipboard security and it's also personal so I'll have to ask you to bear with me Miranda."

Miranda simply nodded like any good officer but deep down Shepard knew that she was already busily attempting to unravel the mystery Shepard had presented her with. As she left for the bridge Shepard gave Liara a slight nod to accompany Miranda before heading the opposite direction towards the habitation deck.

Several minutes Shepard had arrived at her destination. It took a few minutes to work up the resolve to hit the door chime. Oriana appeared moments later hiding an expression of surprise at seeing Shepard waiting for her.

"Shepard? What brings you here?" Oriana asked in confusion.

"May I come in?"

"Of course." Oriana replied gesturing for Shepard to enter her quarters. Oriana quickly made herself comfortable at her desk which gave Shepard a peculiar image of her older sister.

"Oriana, I wanted to discuss something important with you. I want you to promise to listen to everything I say before making any judgements."

"I suppose I can do that but I would rather know what's going on before having to make any commitments like that."

Shepard tried to ignore Oriana's doubts and continued with her task. "Oriana, do you remember what happened when we first entered this region of space?"

"I was exploring the ship and then we lost power. Several minutes later you showed up and asked me to follow you into the AI core. When we got there you told me to wait at the entrance while you went in. You were worried about there being damage. I was waiting there when the ship shook and I blacked out." Oriana recounted.

Shepard nodded. "That's actually not what happened."

"What do you mean? That's what I remember happening." Oriana said her confusion now palpable.

"Your memories have been altered. I did go into the core alone and you did wait for me at the entrance but you weren't incapacitated by any vibration of the ship. When I went into the core I found Samara there, except she isn't Samara. She is an agent of the Reapers. She got the drop on me and was escorting me to the shuttle bay. You must have followed us. I think you stowed away on the shuttle as we headed to a Reaper that was for lack of a better word living in the graveyeard. When we boarded the Reaper you tried to rescue me. You threatened Samara with a pistol." Shepard hesitated at this point as the memory was a difficult one.

"So what happened then?" Oriana asked, obviously totally absorbed by what Shepard was saying.

"You died. You were impaled on a spike. There was nothing I could do. It dragged you off to God knows where in the Reaper. After the Reaper had finished with me it returned us both to the ship."

"And that's it?" Oriana asked in disbelief. "You know I never took you for a practical joker Shepard but this sort of elaborate story. That's something else entirely! You almost had me going there Shepard."

"Oriana, may I see your hands for a moment?" Shepard asked in a deadly serious tone.

"I suppose." Oriana answered doubtfully as she rose from her desk and approached Shepard with her hands outstretched.

Shepard took each hand and studied for a moment before grasping it tightly with her own.

"What are you doing?" Oriana gasped as she struggled to free her hands.

"I'm sorry Oriana but this is the only way for you to know the truth." Shepard replied calmly.

"You're glowing Shepard!" Oriana shouted.

It was true. Shepard's nanotechnology had begun to glow with vivid deep blue as she concentrated on reaching out to Oriana's own dormant memories.

"My hands! What are you doing to my hands?" Oriana panicked as her own dormant nanotechnology came to life. It gradually began to glow a deep as it glowed through her skin.

"Remember Oriana. Remember what happened to you."

Oriana blinked at Shepard's words. Oriana's brown eyes began to dilate as a torrent of buried memories returned to her with a brutal vengeance.

As soon as Shepard was sure that Oriana had recovered her memories she released her hands. The glow gradually began to die down. Oriana wavered uncertainly on her feet from the shock. Shepard gently guided her to a chair and sat her down. The two sat in silence for several moments.

"How could this have happened?" Oriana asked rhetorically, breaking the silence. "I should be dead."

"Be thankful that you aren't. You did a very brave thing for me. I felt that you deserved to know what had happened. I'm sorry that I forced you to relive those memories."

"You know, it's strange but I don't blame you for what happened. I'm actually sort of glad that I know what happened." Oriana began hesitantly. "I'm not sure how I'll cope with this though. I have a link to a Reaper. One of the machines that we're suppose to destroy and one that would surely destroy us if given the opportunity."

"I know what you mean." Shepard sighed as Oriana gave voice to her own concerns.

"What happens to me now that I know this?" Oriana asked her mood becoming worried.

"It is mostly up to you. From what I can tell the nanites and the connection to Nemesis are dependent on you. If you choose to accept them they will become active and aid you in whatever capacities they can. If you ignore them they will probably go dormant. It is your choice. I think Nemesis would probably respect whatever decision you make up to a point."

"Nemesis?"

"The Reaper you are joined with."

"Whenever I think of the Reaper I always associate the name Mahapehka with it. It's almost like one of my own memories but I can't actually remember how I know it."

"It may well be the Reaper's un-translated name."

"Anyway, I'm not sure what to do about all this any of it." Oriana replied shaking her head.

"I understand. You didn't ask for this and now you have to find a way of living with it. I wish I had some advice that would make it easier but all I can say is that in the end the only thing you can take ownership of is how you react to what's been done to you."

"Thank you Shepard. That actually does help."

"I'll have to be getting back to the bridge. I'll try to check back in with you as soon as I can."

"I'll be alright. I just need some time to think about what's happened." Oriana replied with a wavering smile. "After all it's not every day that I get told that I've died and been cybernetically enhanced but for you it must be routine."

Shepard barely suppressed a laugh but a grin did breakout on her face. "I suppose you're right."

As she stood to leave Shepard turned back to Oriana. "I don't want to sound like a broken record but I want you to remember that you aren't alone with this. Don't feel that you have to shoulder the weight of what's happened alone. If you ever want to talk I'll be there."

"Thanks Shepard. I'll remember that."

...

Shepard returned to the bridge feeling a bit better for having spoken to Oriana. At least Oriana knew and could live her life according to reality and not an illusion. She was quickly accosted by Miranda.

"Shepard, we are approaching the rendezvous coordinates. We were able to successfully depart Karos and its minefield be retracing our original course. Nothing else to report. "

"Good work Miranda. I suppose all that's left is to wait."

"Shepard, we have an incoming contact. It appears to be frigate sized and heavily damaged." Liara interrupted. "We also have a faint echo following the target."

"Well, they certainly didn't waste time." Shepard grumbled before barking out orders. "Engage the stealth system and move use within 100k of the target. I want this done by the numbers people. We're going to be tailing whatever ship comes to harvest the damaged ship back to its home base. There I intend to blow the base to hell and gone and get out of this pocket of dead space. Questions? No? Then let's get to work."

The crew didn't have to wait too long for the drone to reveal itself. The _Voice_ had closed to enhanced visual range of the target. Shepard could clearly see that the target was little more than cylindrical looking vessel with engines crudely affixed to the stern. It had all the hallmarks of being bait at least to an organic eye. Out of the darkness of Tartarus their intended target emerged. The drone was a construct that belonged in the nightmares of sentient beings. Unlike its mothership it was purely mechanical with a rounded maw which appeared capable of devouring ships. The maw was alive with a series of tentacle like manipulators and laser welders likely to facilitate the easy deconstruction of wounded ships. The exterior of the drone was studded with spikes which were likely some sort of sensor. As it approached two manoeuvring arms unfurled themselves from the drone's belly and guided the decoy frigate into its waiting maw.

"Goddess above, it's almost like a firaxan shark with its prey." Liara remarked as she watched the processing begin.

"And to think that it has done this to ships with crews." Miranda added in horror.

"I was trying not to." Joker interjected from his station.

"At least our lure has caught a predator. Now we just have to follow it back to its source."

As they watched the ghastly process was completed and the decoy was swallowed up by the drone. The drone turned on its axis and lit up its engines in a brilliant glow of thruster fire.

"Joker, pursuit course, match speed!" Shepard ordered.

Joker's hands danced across his interface as he angled the ship towards their target. The bridge crew watched in hushed anticipation as they tailed the drone. Breaths were held as each crew member worried about how well the stealth system would hold up against the drone's array of sensors.

An hour later the bridge crew had settled back into the routine of following the drone. Shepard had taken her own station and was running through her considerable stack of status reports from the various sections of the vessel in an effort to stay on top of shipboard operations. Of all the responsibilities of command it was her second most hated. The joke had run that paperwork was equivalent to two times the warship's mass. Shepard's ennui was finally broken as Liara announced a contact from her station. Shepard stretched before ambling over to Liara's station. Miranda was already there.

"So what do we have?"

"At the moment the contact is hazy due to extreme range and our inability to use our more intrusive sensors. That said I am quite sure that the contact is large enough to be the drone's base or mothership." Liara announced.

"Finally! I thought that drone wasn't ever going to return to its base." Miranda grumbled in an uncharacteristic display of frustration.

"Alright, if this is the target then we should go to full battle stations and make a stealth approach to target range. A few slugs from the main battery should be enough to put anything down."

"I hate to spoil an otherwise flawless plan but we would be unable to establish a clear targeting solution on the base from maximum weapons range." Liara announced.

"So we would be firing blind?" Shepard asked, concerned.

"Unfortunately yes. As soon as we open fire we would be the subject of return fire. Our only hope is to launch a precision surprise attack on the base and eliminate its capacity to respond." Liara concluded.

"What you're suggesting involves taking a team and marking the targets at nearly point blank range." Shepard realized.

"That would be suicide!" Miranda opined. "There must be another way."

"I do not claim to be infallible and it is possible that I have overlooked something but I am sure that this is the only strategy with any guarantee of success." Liara responded with a hint of resentment.

"Alright, the shuttles have some stealth capability. If we launch in a shuttle and make an unpowered approach to the base we should avoid detection." Shepard made her decision quickly. "I'll take a small team with me. We'll approach the alien base and either board the interior and plant beacons inside or plant them on the exterior and hope for the best. The _Voice_ will remain at extreme range and wait for our signal to attack."

"And just who is going to be accompanying you on this mission?" Miranda asked sceptically.

"Given that we're on a suicide mission I would normally take volunteers but since the ship depends on the outcome I'm taking anyone I need. Liara, Kasumi, Tali and Garrus will join me on the mission. I'll take Justina to pilot. You'll be in command of the _Voice _while I'm gone."

"Aye, Aye." Miranda responded.

"Sira, let the rest of the team know that they are about to go on a mission. Make sure that they know it's a hostile environment so dress accordingly!" Shepard ordered.

...

A short while later the team was assembled on the shuttle as it left the hangar bay. Every team member including Kasumi had elected to carry more weapons than usual. Kasumi had chosen to carry a shotgun even though she professed not to be proficient with it. Garrus, in addition to his usual armament was sporting a pair of pistols and a pouch of charges. Shepard had elected to take a satchel of shaped charges and grenades and her usual rifle and pistol. The team looked as though it was ready to got to war. The shuttle was also loaded with a number of targeting beacons and a pair of trashcan shaped demolition munitions which Sira had insisted were at least as dangerous as a round from her secondary weapons.

The shuttle ride started out hushed and remained so as they gradually approached their destination. After about a half hour Justina cut the shuttle's engines and shut down most of the ship's systems causing the shuttle to revert to a dim red emergency lighting.

"Are we close?" Liara asked hopefully.

"Not hardly." Justina replied as she got up from the control panel. "Right now we're just drifting on inertia. Barring a freak accident we should reach the base in about a half hour. The closer we get the less able we'll be to alter our course so we had better hope that Sira was dead accurate on the number crunching."

"I think we can be confident of that. It's the getting on board part that worries me." Tali murmured from her seat.

"So Shepard, what do you think we'll find over there?" Garrus asked conversationally.

"Knowing our luck it'll probably be a hoard of hungry husks." Kasumi opined.

"If we're lucky that's what it'll be." Shepard joked blackly. "We're sailing into the unknown but it is an enemy's home and from what I've gathered it's been in business almost as long as the Reapers so we can be sure that it hasn't survived this long by being a pushover."

"Way to make us feel good about our chances Shep!" Kasumi groaned.

"I think what Shepard was trying to say is that we are going to be making a career of doing the impossible and that this is just one step towards defeating the Reapers." Liara supplied.

"Nice save Liara!" Garrus laughed at which Liara turned slightly violet.

"Liara's right." Shepard interrupted. "If I didn't think we had a chance we wouldn't be here. All of you the best and brightest that I've served with. With you I feel like we have chance at turning back the Reapers. This thing is just the hors d'oeuvre before the main course!"

Shepard's last comment earned her a slight laugh from her team. The team seemed to settle slightly after the pep talk. Garrus returned to checking over his weapons while Kasumi drifted of into a catnap. Tali engaged Justina in a conversation about the shuttle and its handling. That left only Shepard and Liara. The couple was happy enough to enjoy the calm before the storm in quiet, alone with their shared thoughts.

...

The half hour seemed to pass quickly as Justina motioned for Shepard to join her in the shuttle's cockpit. The drone's destination loomed in the forward viewport. The object which had dragged them into Tartarus was immensely large and of a similar size to Karos. From their angle of approach it appeared almost like a giant starfish with its five immense arms arrayed in a star like pattern. At the centre appeared to be a more mechanical section while the limbs appeared to be a hybrid of organic and mechanical construction. It was getting to be a day of firsts for Shepard as she had never seen organic components exist in hard vacuum.

"We should probably set a course for the central nexus of the arms." Liara opined as she joined Shepard in the cockpit. "Even if it is mechanical its primary systems are likely to be in a central location."

"You don't seriously think that it's organic?" Justina asked in disbelief.

"We cannot discount that possibility. It might be an engineered organism." Liara replied.

"Whatever it is, it is a danger to the ship and it might hold some of the keys to getting out of here. Justina, take us in closer to the centre. Let's see if we can find somewhere to link up."

Justina gave the manoeuvring thrusters a tap to angle the drifting shuttle towards their intended destination. The shuttle continued to drift and sailed unnoticed towards the centre of the object. The central portion was far more mechanical with a massive docking bay for the drones. Plumes of waste gases belched out of several collections of vents on one side of the central section. Shepard suspected that the raw materials from the captured ships were being used to make more of the drones. Justina managed to subtly alter the shuttle's trajectory away from the industrial section towards a quieter region of the hull. The hull was completely lacking in viewports and alternated between a greyish biomatter covering the hull and exposed reddish metal. Eventually Shepard noticed what appeared to be a large section of flat metal that looked to be the appropriate size for the shuttle's docking umbilical. Shepard pointed it out for Justina who set to work orienting the shuttle for docking. Confident in Justina's abilities Shepard left Justina to her work and headed aft to get the team ready.

Moments after the shuttle had touched down Liara had called Shepard back to the cockpit.

"Shepard, I'm sorry to have interrupted you but we've noticed something. I thought it best to test the atmosphere on the other side before cutting through."

"A sensible precaution. So what've you found?" Shepard asked.

Liara manipulated a few controls to bring the air sample on one of the displays. Shepard sucked in a breath.

"So now we know why no one has bothered to board this thing before." Shepard remarked sarcastically in an attempt to hide her worry.

"Indeed, the interior atmosphere would be toxic to most organic life. One lungful would be enough to induce a coma although it doesn't quite seem potent enough to immediately kill. Odd that. Worse still the atmosphere contains corrosive particles which specifically target metal so our armour would likely last only a matter of hours before depressurizing."

"It's like the atmosphere itself has been formulated to act as an intruder defence measure."

"If the atmosphere is configured to prevent boarding than we can suspect that the rest of the environment is just as hostile. The interior temperature is high enough to make infrared useless and night-vision might not be effective either."

"Is there any good news?" Shepard asked clearly not expecting any.

"There are no signs of our intrusion being detected. I suspect that the vessel depends primarily upon its passive defences to deter boarding."

"Alright. I still intend to board. Do what you can to map out the interior and see about cutting a hole in the hull. As soon as you're finished vent the atmosphere into space so that we have at least one fall back position. Vacuum is likely to be far kinder than the muck inside that thing."

Shepard headed aft once more to appraise the team of the new situation. Groans and mocking requests for transfer greeted the new information as everyone checked their suit seals a second time.

Liara and Justina were quite efficient in dumping their beachhead's atmosphere and the team was aboard the alien vessel in mere minutes. Justina detached the shuttle and maintained a slight gap between the team and the alien.

Their beachhead was unnerving in its construction. If Shepard had to guess she would have called it an empty storage room. The walls were covered in pulsing biomass while the hatch was an organic orifice. Fortunately the door controls were simple enough to allow the team to enter the next chamber. The orifice lensed shut behind them and Shepard's hardsuit pinged as it detected the return of the corrosive atmosphere. A countdown to the total failure of her suit seals appeared in the bottom right corner of HUD.

"Alright, we've got two hours before our suits fail and we're left breathing this atmosphere. I'm sure some races would find it therapeutic but I don't intend on trying it first hand. Let's move out!" Shepard ordered.

Progress was slow throughout the unfamiliar corridors and companionways of the alien vessel. After several minutes the halls were already beginning to blur together and the dim light wasn't helping matters. Chambers leading off of the main corridor were invariable filled with decaying parts of other vessels. It appeared almost as though they had stumbled into a junkyard.

The team finally reached a larger chamber that Liara had been able to identify from an initial scan. The biomass clinging to the walls and the fixtures of the chamber totally obscured any hint of what its original function may have been. The team paused for a moment to take stock of their situation and lay one of the targeting beacons.

As Garrus was setting the beacon a realization seemed to strike him. "If the atmosphere is dissolving our armour then won't it dissolve this beacon?"

"We have to hope the beacons will last long enough to transmit coordinates back to the _Voice_. I don't see any reason why they shouldn't last at least another two hours."

"I suppose so Shepard. We've only got another hour and a half ourselves."

"You should see to setting the demolition charge. That should act as enough insurance. Liara and I will check out the next room. Everyone else should maintain a defensive formation while Garrus takes care of the weapon."

The team moved to carry out Shepard's orders as Liara set to work opening the door to the adjoining room. Shepard knew that they only had another half hour before they would have to turn back. Liara had finally convinced the obstinate hatch to open for them by the time that Shepard had reached her. As they stepped into the next room Shepard noted that there were active displays and terminals and that the biomass was confined to a few locations on the walls. Shepard silently motioned for Liara to check one of the consoles as she swept the room with her assault rifle.

"Shepard, the console appears to be active however; I can't make any sense of the language. It appears to be utilizing a complex mixture of pictograms and ideograms." Liara reported back.

"So basically you're saying that we won't be able to understand any information we might be getting from the consoles."

"What were you hoping for?"

"A map or better yet some environmental controls." Shepard joked as she completed her sweep of the room and returned to Liara.

Liara's response was interrupted by Garrus announcing that he had completed the arming sequence for the demo charge. Shepard motioned for her team to form up at their current position.

The team never had a chance to respond as the hatch between the two compartments smoothly lensed shut. Shepard groaned and hit the door control with no apparent effect. Whether by deliberate action or by faulty equipment Shepard and Liara were cut off from the rest of the team and their only escape.

"Shepard? Are you receiving us?" Tali crackled through her comm.

"Barely. We seem to be cut off. I want you to take the team back to the shuttle. We'll try to make our way around to you."

"We should be able to breach the door with a charge." Garrus interrupted.

"Good idea Garrus. I still want you to pull back to the shuttle. We'll demo the door and follow you. If you don't see us or hear from in us in an hour I want you to take the team back to the _Voice_." Shepard ordered.

"Aye, aye Commander." Garrus responded reluctantly. It was clear that he didn't like leaving Shepard behind any more than she enjoyed being left but like a good turian he was prepared to obey her orders.

"So we're trapped?" Liara asked as appeared by Shepard's side.

"For the moment." Shepard responded curtly as she fumbled a small block of explosives. The door was remarkably resistant to her efforts to affix the explosive to it. Eventually she succeeded in wedging it into the spongy biomass.

Shepard motioned Liara away from the door and behind the consoles that they had been examining. The charge was shaped to direct the explosion inwards but that didn't mean that they would be safe. As soon as they were huddled behind the console Shepard triggered the charge.

The explosive yield was impressive and designed to penetrate several decimetres of reinforced hull plating. Unfortunately for both Shepard and Liara the end result of the explosion was a significant amount of smoke and fire with little damage to the door apart from the dissolution of the door's organic layer. As Shepard and Liara considered the end result they could both discern that the explosive had melted some of the metal fusing the door shut.

"I suppose this means we have to find another way around?" Liara asked.

"I suppose so."

Liara's next words were interrupted by a series of alarms going off which were accompanied by several plumes of greenish steam.

"Run!" Shepard shouted as several atmosphere alarms began to blare in her helmet. The compartment was quickly being filled with a higher concentration of the hazardous environment.

The two sprinted for the only other exit to chamber and dived through the closing hatch. Pulling herself to her feet Shepard quickly helped Liara up before considering her surroundings. The room appeared much like the previous one except for a greater quantity of biomatter coating the walls and fixtures. Liara had her pistol out and was scanning the area around her as well. The two wordlessly edged forward through the room.

The next room was significantly different and looked much like a laboratory. Most apparent were several clusters of greenish tubes in the corners of the room. Each tube was taller than either woman and totally opaque. The room was also much darker than the rest of the ship which wasn't saying much. Shepard motioned for Liara to take her six as the two cautiously approached one of the clusters of tubes. A small console was near one of the tubes. Liara addressed herself to the console as Shepard edged closer to the tube.

As Shepard stared into the tube she could almost swear that there was a dark shape floating in the murky green liquid.

"Shepard. I think I've found something." Liara announced. Shepard turned away from her examination of the tube to see what Liara had found. Liara had actually been able to get the console working and with a degree of trial and error had managed to interface her omni tool with the console. The output was displaying in the more traditional Council trade language. Liara rapidly flicked through a series of displays to bring up a map of the room.

"It appears that we are in some sort of bio-research lab. There doesn't appear to be any direct route back the way we've come however there does appear to be an airlock two decks down." Liara reported as she consulted the display. A moment later the terminal glowed a bright blood red and two sets of alien characters scrolled across the screen.

"That can't be good!"

"The terminal seems to be locked out." Liara replied. "We've almost certainly been detected!"

"We had better head for that airlock." Shepard's plan was abruptly punctuated by the sound of breaking glass.

"Emma! Behind you!" Liara shouted.

Shepard barely had an instant to process the fact that something actually was behind her before she was flung bodily across the room. As she hauled herself to her feet she was able to make out the vague shape of what had attacked her in the murky atmosphere. It stood hunched at almost three metres in height and appeared to have a pair of scything arms to accompany its four legs. A head was completely missing. The creature looked completely and freakishly unlike anything Shepard had seen before. Liara was already peppering the thing with rounds from her pistol which, despite causing damage to the creature, weren't having any noticeable effect as it advanced towards her.

Shepard quickly snatched another demolition charge from her armour, set the timer for fifteen seconds and made a quick mental prayer that it would have more success than it had with the door. Shepard sprinted towards Liara and hurled the charge at the advancing creature. Shepard allowed her momentum to carry her forward as she rammed into Liara hurling them both to the ground and out of the path of any back blast. The charge impacted the centre of the creature's torso. Moments later it detonated.

The detonation was far more effective than it had been with the door as the entire room shook with the explosive force. Of the creature there was barely a trace. Shepard rapidly helped Liara to her feet and checked her for injuries.

"I think that was our queue to get the hell out of here!"  
"I would be inclined to agree." Liara responded shakily as the two picked their way over the wreckage of the room and towards its only exit.

...

They had almost made it to the airlock without incident before they ran into another problem. Obstructing their path to the airlock were a pair of the creatures that they had encountered in the bio lab. The two creatures cast about uncertainly before they slowly advanced towards Shepard and Liara. Liara gave Shepard a quick nudge and pointed to a large set of metal doors exiting off of the corridor and away from the two lumbering menaces. The two dodged into adjoining chamber leaving the two creatures to search in vain. As the hatch closed behind them they realized that the chamber before them was immense. It stretched as far as they could see and it was far from empty. Strangely enough the environment adjusted itself from the mixture that they had faced outside to a more traditional nitrogen oxygen atmosphere. The mists began to clear as they watched to reveal the room's occupants, if they could still be described as such.

The room was roughly circular and ringed by innumerable banks of terminals in concentric circles around the invisible centre of the chamber. As Shepard and Liara edged closer to one of the terminals they found that it was actually occupied. Moving around to the front of the terminal the two were afforded a glance at the operator. Liara barely stifled a gasp of horror. The being inside was not one that Shepard had ever seen before, though it would hardly matter given that it was scarcely recognizable as being organic. Its arms had fused directly to the console in front of it. The torso was a mass of shifting wires which seemed to writhe with a will of their own. The head was relatively unencumbered with only a few wires. The face appeared almost as though it were a cross between the avian features of a turian and a more reptilian set of features. The being's eyes were closed and it appeared to be doubtful that it was even alive.

"Do you think it could possibly still be alive?" Liara whispered, the horror of what had happened to the creature written on her face.

"We can only hope that it isn't." Shepard consoled as she slowly edged away from the trapped being.

The two carefully made their way between the lines of terminals and their comatose occupants towards the centre of the chamber.

The central section of the chamber appeared to be a massive helix shaped pillar of wires and conduits. It pulsed rhythmically with reddish light as energy passed through the conduits. At the base of the helix was a small raised platform with a series of active displays. As they stepped onto the platform both Shepard and Liara crossed through a series of scanning beams. Both were startled as a hologram of a human being resolved itself before them.

"Construction complete. Lexical information downloaded from local devices. Linguistics parsed. This adjutant is available to respond to some of your questions. Security clearance or senior administrator presence required to access non public files."

Shepard and Liara exchanged a glance at being confronted with the hologram.

Liara spoke first. "Why do we have access?"

"You have been identified as conforming to a series of protocols left in this system. You have been granted limited user privileges." The hologram reported.

"Why did you suddenly decide to grant us access to your files after you were trying to kill us?" Shepard asked harshly.

"I'm sorry. This adjutant is not networked with station systems or biological systems. This access point is only networked to archival data systems. Supposition: Given the high degree to which both of your bioforms conform to planned organisms it is possible that you would have been targeted for elimination or repurposing as an infestation of undesired bioforms." The hologram responded.

"It viewed us as pests?" Liara exploded in disbelief.

"Your metaphor is crude but accurate." The hologram replied unphased.

"What exactly are the parameters that determine access?" Shepard asked now genuinely curious.

"The parameters are determined by a series of nearly one hundred separate conditions complete with sub-conditions. A simplified response is that the scanners in the archive check for three main triggers. Trigger one: Is the subject Hermasi in nature. Trigger two: Is the subject bioform modified with compliant technology. Trigger three: Is compliant technology networked to approved AIs. I can provide you with a complete listing of all prompts and algorithms should you desire it."

"Elaborate on what compliant technology and AIs are." Shepard ordered.

"Compliant technology is defined as nanotechnology implants which are directly interfaced with the subject's brain allowing a degree of control over and by AIs. The example that you would both be most familiar with is the population of Tau generation nanotechnology currently inhabiting your bioforms. It has also been supplemented by currently unknown nanoforms which share a degree of similarity with Tau generation nanotechnology. The nanotechnology must be accompanied by a real-time connection to an AI or AIs. An approved AI is defined as all AIs created after HY 9452. An example of that you would be familiar with would be those of the Reaper Project."

"That makes sense." Liara exclaimed as the pieces began to fit together. "The computer recognized the nanites in our bodies as being from the Reapers and since this installation is was made by the race that created the Reapers it has tagged us as being of that race."

"Elaboration: You have not been tagged as Hermasi. You have been tagged as inferior planned bioforms associated with Hermasi technology. This is why access is limited." The hologram interrupted.

"Well that makes me feel wonderful about myself." Shepard replied sarcastically. "I suppose if we're 'inferior bioforms' then it makes it okay to put us in the library with the rest of them."

"If you had not already been categorized as attached to the Reaper Project that eventuality would have been a possibility." The hologram stated nonchalantly.

"Better and better." Shepard groaned.

"Emma, we have to be cautious. This projection is of a race that is long dead and a race which created the Reapers. It seems quite clear that they may not have the same morals or values as we do when it comes to sentient life."

"According to the philosopher Xixti 'Morals are the security blanket of the less civilized. Discarding confining morals is the hallmark of an adult race.'" The hologram interrupted.

"Well you seem to be right Liara. If this Xixti was their leading philosopher it would certainly explain a lot." Shepard spat.

"The texts of Xixti were required reading for all Hermasi children of the age of minority until their majority."

"Oh shut up!" Shepard groaned, tired of the hologram's constant interruptions.

"Affirmative, going to stand by mode. This node can be reactivated by addressing a question directly to it."

"Finally a bit of peace and quiet." Shepard sighed.

"Do you realize what this means Emma?" Liara interjected, still processing what the hologram had said. "The Reapers were created by the Hermasi."

"Which we already knew."

"This facility was built by the Hermasi."

"And is trying to kill us."

"Stop interrupting!" Liara growled before returning to her topic of conversation. "This facility may actually have been responsible for building some of the first Reapers. Judging from what they've done to the people in this archive their technology appears to be based on using sentient life for processing power. They also mentioned that our races were planned."

"So?" Shepard asked, trying to make sense of what Liara had said.

"To them we're components for repairing their ships or, at worst, an infestation of pests. The Reapers share some of these base directives which explains why their construction requires the destruction of entire races."

"I think I see where you're going. You think that the Hermasi seeded the galaxy with sentient races."

"And their accompanying eco-systems."

"As a spare parts source." Shepard gasped as the chilling realization began to sink in.

"To think that galactic civilization is the legacy of an amoral race interested in perpetuating its legacy. Unbelievable." Liara breathed as the realization overtook her as well.

Shepard wavered for a second before sitting down. Liara joined her. The two stared out over the vast expanse of captured souls that made up the archive.

"It really puts everything in perspective doesn't it?" Shepard remarked eventually.

"What does?"

"Realizing how insignificant we are. Just a cycle in the lifespan of the galaxy. We wither and we die just like the countless races before us and are replaced. Inevitably we seem to follow a destiny laid out before us and we invent religion and science to explain it all. All it seems to do is grant us a misplaced sense of confidence. Then we end up being confronted with the truth of our origins and it makes everything seem so small."

"I wouldn't say that. Our presence here makes our actions significant. We've escaped a cycle and in the end we are trying to help others escape from the same cycle. That alone gives us a purpose and a destiny beyond that which was written for us."

Shepard smiled. No matter how shocking the circumstances Liara was able to find the positive perspective to argue. With the burdens that Shepard had shouldered it was sometimes difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She supposed that that was one of the advantages of a century long lifespan: the ability to take the long view. Shepard hauled herself to her feet. Philosophy aside she and Liara still needed to escape before their bomb went off.

Addressing herself to the hologram once more Shepard attempted to find an escape route.

"I am afraid that the responses to queries exceed your clearance level." The hologram responded in a frustratingly calm tone. Shepard vaguely found herself wanting to threaten the hologram just like the Krogan on Feros.

"Is there an option to relay data to our approved AI?" Liara interrupted.

"Affirmative. Archival backups may be transferred by packet vessel."

Liara and Shepard exchanged glances. It seemed that fortune had not forsaken them after all.

"Where is the packet vessel located?" Shepard asked.

"One level directly below this location. Networked sensors have detected your AI. Final checks of data integrity complete. Packet ready for launch. Proceed?"

"Negative. Can the packet be launched manually?"

"Affirmative though this course of action is not advisable. Manual launch causes the packet to perform a hot launch from the bay. Extensive damage to station systems probable. Possibility of destruction of archives 100%. Possibility of total destruction of station 75%. Possibility of local anomaly being destabilized 100%."

"Local anomaly?" Liara interrupted.

"The local anomaly refers to the ultra dense and impenetrable spatial boundary surrounding both Tartarus Station and the Karos Shipyard. It is generated by Species 37."

"What is Species 37 and please don't tell me that it's some form of space borne Thorian." Shepard groaned.

"Inferior species designator Thorian not recognized." The hologram responded at which point Shepard sighed in relief. "Species 37; Type: Predatory Space Lifeform; Classification parsed to English: Serpent of the Darkness; Notes: According to the senior researcher Species 37 exhibits the unique ability to camouflage itself in a region of space invisible to conventional sensor systems and the naked eye. Its offensive mechanism involves the creation of a limited duration wormhole to seize passing space traffic. The wormhole always manifested in proximity to large singularity events. Species 37's sensory mechanism was the subject of study but no conclusions were made. Given the unique nature of Species 37 it was selected for 'improvement' and Tartarus Station was grafted directly into its body. A driver AI was installed to assume direct control of Species 37's functioning. Species 37 has been integral to the functioning of the Watchguard project." The hologram concluded.

"We've been walking through a living being?" Liara gasped in disbelief.

"Affirmative."

"We have to concentrate on getting out of here. We'll have the entire archive and Nemesis to translate it for us." Shepard reminded.

"Commander Shepard, Dr. T'soni, I have received a request from one of the data nodes for your presence."

"How do you know our names?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"This data was supplied by the aforementioned data node. Further inquires should be directed to that node."

"I have the sinking feeling that the data node is, was a person." Shepard murmured.

"Affirmative. All data nodes are retained for storage of genetic memories and species data. Nodes retain consciousness in order to function properly. Be advised that damage to nodes will result in severe punishment."

"How can a civilized race be so callous!" Shepard fumed.

"Error! Query exceeds the capabilities of this adjutant. The term callous does not appear in this unit's lexicon. Rephrase question."

"I have had enough of you." Shepard hissed as she turned to the adjutant.

"This adjutant is now signing off. Reminder: The function of inferior races is to work for the glory of the Hermasi."

"I feel like shooting something." Shepard remarked conversationally.

"Strangely enough I'm forced to agree with you." Liara replied in an oddly calm tone of voice.

"Let's find whoever wanted to speak to us and get the hell out of here!"

...

The search was over almost before it had begun as a series of floor lamps guided the two to their destination. Eventually they came to a halt in front of one of the terminals. Both Shepard and Liara were chilled by the occupant.

"It seems like you're still making news Shepard." Emily Wong joked painfully. "That's more than I can say for my own sorry self."

"Emily?" Shepard breathed.

"In the flesh or what's left of it. At least it doesn't hurt too much anymore. What's the term? Comfortably numb."

The two stared at what had once been the reporter.

"That bad huh?" Emily groaned. "They won't let me have a mirror."

"Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Getting me out of here would be nice." Emily mumbled.

Shepard edged a little closer to the trapped journalist. She wasn't as far gone as the first terminal dweller they had run across. Although she was closely plugged in to the device her hands and body hadn't merged with the terminal.

Shepard edged around behind Emily to join Liara who was already checking the connections."

"We don't know what would happen if we disconnect her. It could kill her." Liara whispered urgently.

"We can't just leave her and from where I'm standing death would be a step up." Shepard hissed back.

"You know I can hear both of you." Emily interrupted. "And yes, death would be a step up."

"Can we detach her?" Shepard asked.

"Conceivably yes. The connections appear to be recent and don't go very deep. A laser cutter should be able to sever them." Liara hypothesized as she fumbled the device out of her armour. Shepard gave her a swift nod to begin.

"Emily, I'm going to give you something to put you out. We're going to try and cut you free." Shepard informed the trapped woman as she injected her with a double dose of sedatives from her first aid kit.

"Thank you." Emily slurred as she went limp.

Shepard returned to her attention to where Liara was slicing through the first set of connections. As the connection was severed the wire convulsed and slithered away back into the terminal. Shepard suppressed a shudder before setting to work with her own cutter. It took them several minutes to cut the connections with several attempting to either attack them or burrow back into their unconscious patient.

As the last connection was cut Shepard quickly checked Emily's pulse and sighed as she found it. Together she and Liara hauled Emily from the terminal. As they did so an alarm began to blare.

"Figures." Shepard muttered as they dragged their charge towards a maintenance hatch to the docking bay.

After manhandling the hatch open Shepard turned to check behind her. She wished she hadn't as she saw a trio of creatures lumbering towards her.

"Liara, get Emily down onto the next level." Shepard ordered as she hurled a grenade at the nearest creature.

"What about the atmosphere?" Liara asked as she hefted Emily towards the hatch.

"Let us hope that she can survive the atmosphere long enough to get to the packet." Shepard shouted as the grenade went off. The creature lumbered through the explosion undamaged its armoured body smouldering. Shepard decided quickly that discretion was the better part of valour and followed Liara and her unconscious partner through the hatch slamming it shut behind her. The two found themselves in a narrow maintenance tunnel which they hoped would lead them directly to the packet. As they crawled through the tunnel Shepard could practically feel Liara praying to the Goddess that they would make it in time. She felt herself echoing the prayer.

The shaft ended with an abrupt drop and with a nod Shepard went first. With a soft squelch she found herself knee deep in the biomass that she had seen in the other sections of the ship. It was rapidly becoming clear that Species 37 was taking back control from its AI. Liara waved urgently to her before carefully dropping Emily's inert form to Shepard. The other human was breathing raggedly indicating that she wouldn't last much longer. Liara followed a moment later landing gracefully beside Shepard. The airlock to the packet vessel was only a few metres away from them. As they neared the airlock a final pair of creatures gradually emerged from the biomass itself. The two watched as the creatures seemed to gather the biomass to form themselves until they had reached full size.

While Liara paused Shepard continued to advance. Her patience long gone and the strain of the past several days weighing heavily upon her Shepard continued to approach the much larger creatures before her. They almost seemed perplexed by her temerity. With a roar of anger Shepard focussed every scrap of concentration into projecting a dark energy field which picked the two creatures off the ground and sent them flying against the sides of the corridor repeatedly. With a gasp of exhaustion she let the now inert bodies fall back into the biomass.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side." Liara snorted as drew up beside Shepard, Emily cradled in her arms. Shepard's only response was to suck in another breath of air before joining Liara at the airlock.

In a remarkable change of pace the airlock cycled properly admitting the group into the interior of the packet. The inside was clearly not constructed with passengers in mind. Steam billowed from countless vents and piping and conduits criss-crossed the narrow access catwalk that seemed to run the length of the ship. On either side of the catwalk were massive, boxy, towers of data storage devices. It appeared that the hologram had been right about uploading the entire archive. Judging what she perceived as the bow the best place to find a launch mechanism Shepard led the way. Their progress was momentarily impeded by a bulkhead and sturdy looking hatch which Shepard had to agonizingly crank open by hand. Inside lay a cramped cockpit and viewport showing the gloom of the station's interior. After securing the unconscious Emily to one of the four tiny seats Liara busied herself with closing the hatch. Shepard took a seat in what she believed to be the pilot's seat. The controls were rudimentary and tactile. The alien script of the Hermasi did little to clarify what the controls were. Fortunately for Shepard a small grime encrusted screen glowed to life before her. After a moment she was able to select a language which appeared to be similar to Prothean. The screen changed to an overview of the controls before her. Shepard gaped for a moment at the fact that the packet had no manual directional controls and only a set of launch and environmental systems. Flicking through a set a preferences Shepard was able to reinitialize the environmental systems for an oxygen/nitrogen mixture. Liara joined her as she finished sealing the hatch.

"Primitive?" She asked as she considered the display before her.

"Very!" Shepard groaned. "I think I'm about to initiate the emergency launch sequence. You had better strap yourself in because I doubt this bucket has much in the way of inertial damping."

"Let's just count ourselves lucky that it has manual controls at all." Liara replied echoing Shepard's trepidation as she buckled herself in.

"Here goes everything." Shepard mumbled as she cranked the engine power dial from offline to online.

A gentle hum gradually grew into a loud roar and a rattling vibration as Shepard was brutally shaken by the packet's engines. With a horrible shriek of rending metal and biomass the packet wrenched itself free of its hangar bay and rammed through the gooey membrane that sealed the hangar bay. If Shepard had still been conscious she would have been pleased to see open space in front of her once more. As it was both she and Liara had blacked out from the extreme g force of the ignition coupled with the lack of sophisticated inertial dampers. Fortunately for them their armour was still broadcasting their telemetry and as they cleared the interference generated by the station they showed up on both the shuttle and Sira's sensors. The shuttle swiftly angled to follow the blazing exhaust of the packet as rocketed into the black void.

Just as the archival hologram had predicted the hot launching of the shuttle had resulted in the incineration of the archive and the countless imprisoned souls therein. The ignition hadn't been limited just to that section but had also raged throughout the station detonating the bomb that Shepard and her team had left behind, not that it made much difference at that point. As the station was gutted by the conflagration systems, both biological and mechanical, began to fail. The station's reactor gradually began to approach critical temperature and mere minutes after Shepard's fiery departure the station detonated in a brilliant nova taking Species 37 with it. As the nova brought light to the darkness of Tartarus the barrier between it and normal space ruptured hurling all the lost souls trapped in the graveyard back into the light of the cosmos and into the waiting arms of one of the largest fleets in known space.

If Shepard had still been conscious she would have been chilled by the realization that she had been cast from one realm of uncertainty into another chaotic situation.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: The first chapter of the new year and fittingly the beginning of a new arc! Thank you for all the useful reviews! While this isn't the climactic showdown with the Reapers that some of you might have been expecting it does begin to finally wrap up the Geth-Quarian arc. Before that can happen Shepard has to go into the proverbial Lion's Den. Shepard's deception concerning Oriana also comes to a head with Miranda. Finally, Nemesis continues to weave its web around Shepard. All in all a bit of a busy chapter but the narrative should be smoothing down a bit over the course of the next few. Horizon is also on the horizon (I couldn't help myself with that one) and it also doesn't mark the halfway point but more of the three quarters mark.

Chapter XXX: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

Shepard drifted back to consciousness with a sudden start. Her last memory had been of being crushed by the sudden acceleration of the packet vessel. Everything after that had been blackness. Her current situation wasn't an improvement. She was prone in an oddly comfortable bed staring at a dark ceiling. Fumbling about Shepard was able to orient herself toward a viewport showing a non-descript starfield. Wherever she was her hosts had also taken the trouble to strip her of her weapons and armour leaving her with a set of light clothes. Easing herself out of her bed Shepard grimaced as her limbs responded with a series of dull aches. Apparently the gravity had fractured several of her bones. Reflecting on her situation she thought that she was lucky to have escaped intact at all. Thoughts of her escape rapidly led to Shepard wondering what had become of Liara. Attempting to focus on her or Sira resulted in a backwash of confusing white noise in her mind. Nemesis' presence was still securely ensconced in the back of her mind like a predatory cat biding its time.

Touching the floor with a bare foot had no appreciable effect. Emboldened, Shepard straightened into a standing position before edging around her bed in an attempt to find some sort of light switch or doorway. Her clumsy fumblings in the darkness must have triggered something as, moments later she was bathed in soft white light. Shielding her eyes Shepard got her first view of the room. It appeared to be a nondescript infirmary room with a viewport an empty bedside table and a bed. Surveying the room, Shepard mentally cursed the lack of fluid as she realized that her mouth was as dry as parchment.

The door behind her flew open causing Shepard to spin to confront her guest. It was a Geth and not one that she had seen before. Shepard cautiously began to edge away from the Geth that was now staring at her. While her previous experience with Geth had been mostly favourable it was hard to shake her inherent fear of being confronted with a strange machine. She also had no idea what the Geth intended to do with her.

The Geth was evidently satisfied with its visual examination as it began to speak moments later. "Shepard, Emma. Formerly Commander, Systems Alliance, now declared traitor. Proclaimed Ru'asa to Creators. Commanding officer of _Voice of Memory_. Linked to an AI. Linked to Old Machines. We greet you."

"And you are?" Shepard asked her worries beginning to abate.

"We are Geth."

Shepard's lips twitched into a smile as she recalled her first meeting with Legion. "So you don't have an individual designation?"

"We do not though the mobile platform you designate as Legion has informed us of the organic desire to assign monikers to mobile platforms. We speak for the Geth. The designation of Prolocutor is appropriate for our function. You may address us as such."

"I suppose it beats calling you Geth all the time."

"It is indeed superior for an organic."

"So I assume by my presence here that we're in Geth space." Shepard inquired.

"You are correct. Geth have been monitoring this anomaly for the past 34.8 standard years. Our efforts have yielded little in the way of useful data. Approximately 2 standard days ago the anomaly disappeared. Initial scans revealed over one hundred vessels and the debris of at least one thousand others. Additionally one permanent structure was detected."

"What happened to all the ships?"

"50.3% of the vessels hailed the Geth task group monitoring the anomaly in an effort to ascertain where they were. Another 29.7% escaped into deep space. The remaining 20% attacked and were destroyed before they could inflict any meaningful damage. The Geth have dispatched ships throughout the sector to track down the escaped ships. The remaining ships have been aligned or have aligned themselves with the permanent structure. Geth expect a tentative agreement to be reached with the organics shortly."

"I see." Shepard responded though in truth it was difficult to surmise what exactly the Geth had planned. In truth Shepard was more concerned with what the Geth wanted from her.

"We calculate a nearly 90% probability that you are interested in what became of your companions and your ship followed closely by your purpose in being here. Let us assure you that our intentions are benign. Your ship is safe as are your companions. The asari and the other human are both recovering. Your ship and crew await you at your convenience and we are well aware of your situation."

"Well that is a relief." Shepard sighed.

"The Geth require your assistance with a delicate matter." The Prolocutor began. "We require you to act as our emissary to the Citadel."

As requests went the one that the Prolocutor had made Shepard was one of the most unexpected she had ever heard. It came a close second to being named a religious figure to the quarians. For several moments Shepard could only blink in disbelief.

"You want _me_ to represent _you_ to organics?" Shepard stammered.

"You are the perfect candidate. Being originally human you have a better understanding of organics you are also partially synthetic and also have an understanding of the Geth. Your previous actions indicate you have a drive to seek reconciliation between organic and inorganic life. Our logic is irrefutable." The Prolocutor explained.

"When you put it like that it certainly is." Shepard muttered before readdressing herself to the Prolocutor. "Supposing I agree."

"You will agree." The Prolocutor interrupted.

"Why is that?"

"If you do not the Geth will be forced to initiate hostilities with the Council races."

"What? Why?" Shepard asked in shock.

"The matter which we require you to act on relates to the loss of a Geth ship. It has an experimental propulsion system which acts as an entry point for a mass relay and allows the ship to access any other mass relay in the galaxy. The drive was conceptualized as a method of exploring the galaxy. We also understood that it would have the potential to completely redefine warfare on a galactic scale. For such a drive to fall into the hands of hostile organic species bent on the wholesale destruction of synthetic life is unacceptable. If they refuse to surrender the ship and its drive then they must be destroyed before they can destroy us. It is the only logical course of action."

"You certainly don't mince words." Shepard breathed in shock. The machine was calmly talking about a galactic war as though describing a routine diagnostic.

"This is precisely why you must secure the vessel at any cost. The Geth wish to avoid conflict and more bloodshed with organics; this is why we have considered a diplomatic solution first." The Prolocutor elaborated. "You must act on our behalf if we have any chance of succeeding. We are aware that you seek to reunify Geth and Creators. The consensus says that this possibility will become a certainty as soon as you succeed."

"So if I don't help you the galaxy will be plunged into war." Shepard concluded.

"That possibility may already be inevitable."

"I had better get back to my ship." Shepard realized. "There isn't a second to be wasted."

"We have already returned the shuttle we found you on to your ship and we will have your companions waiting for you at the airlock. We will also be sending a node of Geth with you to ensure that you are taken seriously and in the worst case scenario can recover the vessel by non-diplomatic measures."

"What sort of node are we talking about?" Shepard questioned as the Geth escorted her out of the quarters and down a non-descript hallway.

"The assets will consist of one Geth fleet of three dreadnaughts and two carriers along with their assorted support and escort craft. Nearly five thousand mobile platforms." The Prolocutor calculated.

Shepard stopped in her tracks. "You're giving me a battle fleet to negotiate with?"

"You may also inform the organics that it constitutes less than 10% of our total forces. We have determined that the ability to project force improves negotiating positions in organic interaction. We seek to give you the best set of assets. How you utilize them is entirely your decision."

"I'll keep that in mind." Shepard mumbled in shock as the Geth showed her to the airlock. Emily Wong and Liara were already waiting for her. The journalist looked as though she had recovered somewhat but was doing a poor job of containing her terror of the Geth guarding the airlock. Liara quickly enveloped Shepard in an embrace.

"Emma." She breathed before noticing Shepard's strained countenance. "What's wrong?"

"Out of the frying pan into the fire." Shepard replied.

"I'll tell you about it as soon as we're back on the ship."

"If you have any further questions you may address them to Legion." The Prolocutor added.

...

Crossing through airlock back to the _Voice of Memory_ Shepard was greeted by Sira, Miranda and Chakwas. Sira looked pleased to see Shepard once more. Miranda, on the other hand, was keeping a close check on her emotions and her face was completely impassive. It was a bad sign if ever Shepard had seen one. Chakwas remained her motherly self and immediately bustled over to Emily to check over her wounds. It never failed that the doctor would find the most grievously injured member of a party or failing that the most recently injured member.

"Shepard, welcome back." Miranda greeted in a neutral tone of voice. "The ship and crew are in good order and we have escaped Tartarus. We also appear to be in Geth space though Legion was successful in insuring that our time here has been uneventful."

"Thank you Miranda." Shepard responded formally.

"I need to speak to you." There it was, the words that Shepard had been dreading ever since she had first met Nemesis and lost Oriana.

"Of course." Shepard replied gritting her teeth. "Clear the deck if you please."

Chakwas being a naval officer had been accustomed to the command and rapidly herded Emily off to the infirmary. Liara already knew what was going to happen and, with a glance, left Shepard and Miranda staring at each other. Sira quickly popped out of existence though she was still listening. Miranda continued to stare silently at Shepard as if waiting for the other woman to make the first move.

"I have deceived you Miranda." Shepard confessed. There was no point in denying her actions.

"I know." Miranda replied coldly.

"Then you know what happened to Oriana."

"Yes."

"Then there isn't anything else to say. I could tell you why I did it or that it wasn't my fault but I don't think it would do any good. You already know why I did it."

"And that makes it alright?" Miranda expostulated in disbelief.

"No. No it doesn't but this is a conflict and lives depend on our decisions. I did what I thought was best and chose what I believed to be the lesser of the two evils."

"So that's it?" Miranda shouted.

"I lied to you Miranda. Shouting about it isn't going to change the fact that it happened or what happened to Oriana. You can hate me for it or you can forgive me." Shepard argued back.

"You endangered my sister's life and then you didn't even tell me." Miranda growled.

"You endangered your sister's life by putting her in this position. She endangered her own life by following me. I endangered her life by letting her stay on this ship. We are all guilty!"

"You compounded it by not telling me!"

"I made a choice. Tell you and have you worried and unreliable in the middle of a fight or lie to you and ensure that we made it out of the situation alive to have this discussion."

"How could you?"

"Not easily. That's what it means to be in command. You make choices and those choices cost me my integrity, they cost me friendships, and they cost me the lives of my friends. At the end of the day I have to pick which ones I value the most."

"You've got it all so neatly rationalized." Miranda hissed in rage.

"Rationalized yes, neatly no. Around the time when we first met I remember telling you that being in command is a bitter burden. This is what makes it bitter. In the end you have two choices and neither one is perfect and both have costs. At the end all I can say is that I'm sorry."

"Oriana is part of that thing now and all you can say is that you're sorry." Miranda continued, her anger unabated.

"What do you want me to do Miranda?" Shepard shot back her own ire building.

"I .. I don't know! You should have done something! It should have been you. You're the one they want! Why did it have to be her?"

Miranda was falling apart on her feet. The pressure of what had happened to her sister and her complete unawareness of what had happened and her inability to change it had proven too much. Miranda lurched casting about unsteadily for a way out of room and out of her predicament. Eventually she settled on Shepard and threw herself the other woman. It was a light impact and suddenly Shepard realized that Miranda was sobbing. The combination of realization and confronting the issue had released the pent up guilt Miranda had been feeling.

"At least she's alive Miranda." Shepard soothed.

"She's one of them now." Miranda sobbed.

"She isn't at least not any more than I am."

Miranda pulled back.

"You've been dealing with all this already. You take it in stride. She's just a nineteen year old. She's still a child." Miranda argued.

"She's got the same genes that you have and she's got your backbone. She can weather this but she needs someone to help her."

"Help her." Miranda snorted derisively. "Look at me. I can barely cope with what happened myself."

"It just proves that you're still human Miranda." Shepard continued, taking Miranda by the shoulders. "If you could cope with it then I would be worried."

Miranda made a soft noise partway between a huh and a snuffle.

"We're on the raggedy edge Miranda and the only thing keeping us from plunging over are each other. We've got to take a lot on faith and do the best we can with what we've got. Right now we're both in this situation and we need to help each other and help your sister."

"You're something else Shepard." Miranda sighed as she sat down with her back to a bulkhead. Shepard joined her. "I just feel like we're spinning out of control. You seem to thrive on the chaos but for me it's like someone tightening a knot in me. I thought my sister was the one stable thing in my life and now that ends up being turned on its head."

"Oriana may have changed but she needs you more than ever and I need you." Shepard confided.

"You?"

"Miranda, I depend on you. Not just as an XO but as a friend. Not just a friend but family." Shepard realized.

"Family?" Miranda questioned in disbelief.

"Yes and it would honour me if one day you feel the same way."

"Shepard, you may do things which lead me to question you and you do put us in danger but to hear you say that. I've been alone for most of my life not trusting others and now to hear you say that you think of me as family." Miranda murmured. "You have a round about way of asking forgiveness."

"I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm telling you how I feel."

"I" Miranda hesitated. "I need time to process this but I think I like it. Just don't ever keep secrets from me no matter the reason. Have a bit of faith."

The two lapsed into silence. Shepard felt emotionally spent. Shepard's confession seemed to have stabilized Miranda. While the other woman was an enigma most of the time it was clear that the circumstances of her birth hadn't left her devoid of feelings. In truth it struck Shepard that Miranda was more vulnerable than others and projected her icy façade as a means of coping with her vulnerability. If she was perfectly honest with herself Shepard knew exactly how Miranda was feeling. Leaving her old life behind her had taken its toll. The loss was making itself felt now that she was being sent back into Citadel space. Still, it would do them both good to depend on each other Shepard thought.

"What happens now?" Miranda asked, breaking the silence in a steadier voice.

"With?" Shepard questioned.

"I mean where are we going now?" Miranda clarified with a hint of amusement.

"Back to the Citadel, to represent the Geth to the council." Shepard sighed, resignedly.

"You are a comedienne Shepard." Miranda snorted.

"You think I'm joking?" Shepard asked, turning her head to face Miranda.

Miranda started at the serious look on Shepard's face. "You're serious? You _are_ serious."

"I am indeed. The Geth have roped us in which is quite an accomplishment for a synthetic race with no conception of organic motivations."

"How?" Miranda asked suspiciously.

"Well," Shepard began. "They promised to go to war with the council races unless we retrieve a missing ship with an engine that they built that allows that ship to jump to any relay in the galaxy."

"Why don't they just raid the facility where it's being stored?" Miranda suggested rationally.

"I think that they've thought of that and I think it's their plan B. I can't blame them for wanting to try diplomacy."

"When it's our heads on the block, _I_ can." Miranda grumbled.

"We should be entitled to diplomatic immunity if we are allowed to speak to the council."

"That's a big if." Miranda couldn't resist adding. "How do you even propose to make contact with the Council in the first place?"

"Simple. We sit on the border of Council space and wait for someone to notice us."

"Let them come to us. Simple and effective provided they don't want to shoot first and ask questions later."

"Trust me they won't be shooting first. The Geth are coming with us in force."

Miranda sighed as she rose to her feet. "Into the fire once more."

As Miranda left Shepard dusted herself off. Sira popped into existence beside her.

"Back into Citadel space?" Was the AI's first question.

"Yes. It appears that we'll be seeing the Citadel again before to long."

"I'll have your orders relayed to the bridge. The Geth ships which are to accompany us have networked their navigational systems to ours. We will be flying in perfect formation."

"In all this chaos what happened to the _Normandy_?" Shepard asked as a cold hand of realization assailed her.

"The _Normandy_ never entered Tartarus. EDI and I have established a contingency plan in case of separation. We can re-establish contact via a coded message as soon as we clear the Veil. They should be able to rendezvous with us wherever we decide to emerge." Sira informed Shepard in a reassuring tone.

"I'll be in my quarters."

"Shepard, it appears that Morinth wishes to speak to you."

"You mean Nemesis wishes to speak to me."

"Yes. The Reaper has been undetectable ever since we re-entered normal space."

"Lovely. What ever am I going to do with my own pet Reaper?" Shepard asked rhetorically. She felt a quick stab of pain akin to being poked a micro-second later. Evidently Nemesis did not appreciate being likened to a pet.

"Shepard?" Sira inquired solicitously at the momentary change in Shepard's expression.

"Just Nemesis registering its disapproval. Tell Morinth I'll meet her in my quarters. I would also appreciate it if you could brief the crew on our next stop."

"Aye, Aye." Sira responded, smartly before flashing out of existence.

...

As Shepard entered her quarters she was unsurprised to find Liara and Morinth attempting to conduct a conversation. The result was a strange and stilted affair. Liara clearly disliked the other asari while Morinth regarded Liara with a form of cool indifference. The conversation had lapsed into a discussion of the Hermasi by the time Shepard announced her presence.

"Emma." Liara greeted as she noticed Shepard.

"Shepard." Morinth added in a cool tone before proceeding with the point of her visit. "We require the archives which you recovered from Tartarus."

"Oh? Is that all?" Shepard asked sarcastically as she settled herself on a sofa.

"For the moment." Morinth replied, unaffected by Shepard's sarcasm.

"We were the ones who nearly lost our lives recovering those archives." Liara interjected as she joined Shepard. "The knowledge contained within them is ours by right."

"You cannot read the archives." Morinth responded simply. "They are in an alien language and in an alien cipher."

"Since we don't know what the archives contain we shouldn't just hand them over so easily. For all we know they might be schematics for weapons or even a means of remotely activating the Citadel." Shepard rationalized.

"They are both and more."

"All the more reason not to hand them over." Liara chimed in.

"You still do not trust me." Morinth realized.

"I trust you to a point. You haven't earned my complete trust yet. We have a lot of history between us." Shepard explained.

"Then what do you propose?"

"We both get copies of the data."

"Indeed?" Morinth asked with a raised brow.

"It would go a long way to solving the trust deficit." Liara remarked.

"Very well then. We will comply." Morinth conceded.

"Good."

"We will also be accompanying you to the Citadel." Morinth added as a grin toyed with her lips.

Shepard opened her mouth but no sound came out.

Liara was not so encumbered. "Citadel? Why are we going to the Citadel?"

"The Geth want us to negotiate for them."

Liara replied with a small 'ah' of understanding and gave Shepard a slight annoyed poke. Shepard had the feeling that another full briefing would be following their conversation with Morinth.

"If Nemesis were to go with me to the Citadel then it would confirm in everyone's mind that I was at best a Reaper agent and at worst the queen of the Geth bent on galactic domination." Shepard argued.

"The organics will believe you to be the 'Queen', as you put it, of the Geth anyway." Morinth elaborated confidently. "It is an organic fallacy to ascribe organic mastery to synthetic life. They will be unable to see the situation in any other light."

"That aside, your presence will doom me!"

"My presence will save you but only if you are cunning enough to realize how." Morinth confided in a smug tone of voice.

Liara realized what the Reaper was alluding to first. Her words came out in an excited tumble. "It's right Emma! Don't you see? That Reaper is solid hard irrefutable evidence that they do exist and that they were behind the attack on the Citadel!"

"More than just a pretty face after all." Morinth snorted. "You have impeccable taste Shepard."

Liara bristled at the Reaper agent's comment and was about to issue a cutting rebuttal when Shepard interrupted her.

"I see what you mean Liara. If we can get Nemesis to address the council then we can prove that the Reapers exist and finally get council support!" Shepard paused for a moment as a thought struck her. She turned her attention back to Morinth. "What do you get out of it?"

"Perhaps we want you to trust us. Perhaps we want to destroy our erstwhile brothers and sisters. Perhaps we would find it amusing to see what effect a galaxy that is aware of us would have on its eventual extinction." Morinth paused before delivering her final reason as if savouring the anticipation. "Or perhaps we seek to show you how blind organic life really is! When you are alone in the darkness and the voices crowd in baying for your blood you will ask yourself how irrefutable proof could have failed to sway them. Your answer will be silence."

Morinth turned and left the two shocked organics considering what she had said.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Not too much to note about this Chapter. Shepard inches closer to a meeting with the council. As an aside the technique of negotiation that Shepard is emulating was actually utilized during the negotiations between the U.S. and Vietnam in the 1970s. The US delegates would claim that despite their excessive and unpredicatble behaviour that they were the moderates while even wilder forces waited in the wings. The end result was to force the other party(the Vietnamese in this case) to accede to the US's demands before they had a chance to actually think about what was happening. It isn't a one to one emulation but is the technique that I based Shepard's gambit on. Anyway I hope this chapter is just as enjoyable as the rest!

Chapter XXXI: Diplomatic Immunity

What the Reaper had said did not leave Shepard's mind. Nemesis had been successful in planting a seed of doubt in Shepard's mind. Even as she enlightened Liara as to the nature of their new mission she could see the doubts in her own mind reflected on Liara's face. Was it really possible that the Council would be so blind as to dismiss Shepard's evidence as they had two years before?

That night sleep proved unsurprisingly illusive and it wasn't long before Shepard found herself wandering the corridors of the _Voice_. Eventually Shepard decided that she needed someone to talk to about something other than what was about to happen next. There was still one mystery that nagged her and she was currently residing in Shepard's sick bay.

The sick bay was deserted apart from its single occupant but that scarcely surprised Shepard given her small crew complement and the fact that it was the middle of ship's night cycle. As she made her way towards Emily's bunk she was surprised to see the reporter was still awake as well. Emily had noticed Shepard and set the datapad that she had been reading down.

"Commander Shepard?" She asked hesitantly.

"It's just Emma now." Shepard responded in a friendly tone. "How are you doing?"

"Alright, all things considered." Emily answered, warming a bit to Shepard's friendly demeanour.

Shepard pulled a nearby seat over and plunked down next Emily before continuing. "I have a few questions, if it isn't too much of a burden."

"Usually I'm the one asking the questions." Emily joked. "But since you did save my life you're free to ask whatever you like."

"I guess the most important question is how you ended up in Tartarus."

"Tartarus?" Emily asked in confusion.

"The black void and the station where we found you."

"So that was what it was called. I kind of lost track of time when I was on the station but I'm guessing that two weeks passed since we ended up in that place. I was part of team of journalists investigating the sudden appearance of a nebula on the outskirts of the local cluster. We didn't know that anything was wrong until it was too late." "Seems like a dangerous story to be pursuing." Shepard remarked.

"Well, it was just a nebula and we were reporting on it from a safe distance. We had just arrived when something hit us and that was the last thing that I remembered before I woke up in that archive."

"I can safely say that the archive where we found you was part of a station run by an AI that was responsible for abducting you. Do you remember anything else about being in the archive?"

Emily screwed her eyes shut as she tried to remember. "Just a few random flashes and words that didn't make any sense. I'm sorry Shepard but I can't seem to remember anything useful. In fact the entire experience is becoming more and more of a blur."

"That's alright Emily. It's probably better that you don't remember the experience. So how has the Citadel been?" Shepard asked, changing the subject.

"Much the same as always. Human colonies in the Terminus Systems seem to go missing with an alarming regularity. The council decides not to do anything because they aren't really a part of Citadel space. We still have the same stories of corrupt corporations and dirty government officials. The only really big news was you coming back from the dead to be declared a traitor."

"What happened to Councillor Andersen?" Shepard inquired a note of worry creeping into her voice.

"There were a few voices calling for his resignation after it came to light that he had met you in private but he managed to hold on to his job. The only problem, for you that is, is that Andersen has been forced to tow the party line on you."

"Which is?"

"You're a traitor and you're in league with the Geth." Emily considered Shepard a moment before continuing. "Tell me Emma, is it really true? Are you in league with the Geth?"

Shepard hesitated before deciding that it would be pointless to deny it at this point. "I am working with the Geth. They've asked me to represent their interests to the Council. I am not responsible for the destruction of the human colonies in the Terminus Systems."

"I didn't think you were responsible for the attacks, in fact most people find it hard to believe. The public opinion seems to be divided on whether you exist at all and aren't simply a convenient fabrication to distract attention from the Alliance's failure to act. I'm surprised to hear you're working for the Geth but I'm not exactly in a position to judge your decisions." Emily concluded with a short laugh.

"If you weren't in my infirmary what would you think?" Shepard prodded.

"I wouldn't have believed the reports if hadn't seen you with the Geth first hand. Given what I've seen I don't really know what to think. It seems the Alliance and the Council have been wrong about a lot of things."

"Such as?"

"The Geth being hostile for one. The Geth seem to have gone to a great deal of trouble to take care of me."

"Some are still quite hostile but the majority aren't."

"It's precisely these kind of things that make me doubt the veracity of some of the news coming out of Alliance space. Maybe the rumours are true."

Shepard's curiousity was piqued by the journalist's last comment. "What rumours?"

"It seems pretty silly really."  
"I could do with something funny at this point." Shepard cajoled.

"Well, some of the other reporters and I have noticed a trend on the part of the Alliance to downplay every bit of controversial news. For example, the loss of non-Alliance colonies has been relegated from being a top story to everyday news. Eventually it won't even be reported. Incidents of anti-alien violence are receiving heavy coverage. Similarly increases in the size of the Navy and the Army have been going unreported."

"Are you telling me that the Alliance is preparing for war?" Shepard asked in disbelief.

Emily hesitated before continuing in a doubtful tone. "I think I might be overstating what has been happening. We don't have any sort of complete picture of what is happening with internal Alliance politics. The really strange part is that some of my colleagues have been noticing similar sorts of things within the Hierarchy and the Salarian Union."

While Emily's rumours were unsubstantiated suppositions they did not stop Shepard from feeling a slight chill. While organic life was perfectly capable of descending into conflict with one another similar actions on the part of alien species bespoke an order being imposed upon the chaos of organic life.

Emily interrupted Shepard's musings moments later. "Emma? You seem lost in thought."

"I was." Shepard replied as she did her best to pay attention to Emily's next question.

"I was asking what you had planned to do with me."

"Well I had been thinking of returning you to the Citadel."

"You're returning to the Citadel?" Emily blurted out in surprise. "How exactly are you planning on doing that without being arrested?"

"I have a few friends to help me with that." Shepard said confidently. "The council will have no choice but to listen to us."

"You know this could be big news." Emily noted, her vocation taking control of the conversation.

"And I would have thought that saving your life meant that you owed me." Shepard joked.

"Shepard you're about the biggest news story in the galaxy. You're about to represent the Geth to the Council in a negotiation that has the potential to redefine the galaxy. It would have been a crime for me not to attempt to get an interview."

"I can't blame you." Shepard replied with a grin. "I should let you get some rest."

"Emma?" Emily's question halted Shepard's departure. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked quietly.

"You were a hero to Citadel and then you disappeared. You obviously didn't die like the reports said. Now you turn up on a dreadnaught with the Geth as your allies. Something must have happened." Emily pushed.

"Something did happen." Shepard concluded in a soft voice her face shrouded in shadow.

With those cryptic words she left Emily staring at her retreating form. As she stepped back into the companionway outside the infirmary Shepard reflected that while there were some things she was prepared to make common knowledge her recent history was not among them. Shaking her head to clear it of her introspection Shepard proceeded to the bridge at a brisk pace. Thoughts of sleep had long since been discarded.

The bridge was quiet when she reached it. Miranda was unsurprisingly absent despite it normally being her watch. Being in command for the past several days had likely taken its toll on her. Shepard was anxious to talk to Miranda again if only to smooth their relationship out further. With Pierce's assignment to the Normandy during the last disastrous mission to Charybdis it had fallen to Mahoney to take this evening shift. The other woman approached Shepard the moment she entered the bridge.

"Skipper, everything alright?" Mahoney asked solicitously.

"Fine. You can dismiss the bridge crew for the rest of the watch. We'll be heading into Citadel space tomorrow and I need everyone rested and ready."

"Aye, Aye Skipper." Mahoney replied unwilling to question her good fortune at being relieved.

Mahoney rapidly rounded up the skeleton crew and dismissed them. Minutes later Shepard was alone on the bridge. Sira had efficiently taken command of the ship and appeared at Shepard's side moments later.

"So Emma, alone at last." Sira remarked as Shepard settled herself on the command dais.

"Not quite." Shepard returned as she gestured at one of the sleek Geth frigates passing by the bridge.

"You refer to our allies."

"More like my new employers." Shepard snorted. "Me as an ambassador. I never would have guessed."

"I think you'll make a fine emissary, for an organic."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Shepard asked, bridling at Sira's remark.

"The most sincere form of compliment." Sira replied sweetly. "As an organic you are the only one who has our interests at heart."

"A cynic might say that it was only because I'm not entirely organic." Shepard retorted, somewhat mollified by Sira's remark.

"True." Sira conceded. "Are you worried Emma?"

"Yes. Oh, I'm not worried about getting the Geth's ship back. The council will have no choice but to accept our terms, considering that they are going to be quite generous. It's the problem of convincing them that the Reapers are out there."

"The weight of evidence that we have..."

"Is inconsequential," Shepard interrupted "At least according to Nemesis. If the Reaper thinks we can't prove to the Council that it exists then I worry."

"How would they be able to deny the evidence of the Reaper speaking to them?" Sira asked in disbelief.

"We both know that the Council is notorious for its pig headedness. They tried to stop me from going after Saren in the first place. Even if they were to acknowledge that the Reapers existed I doubt that they would actually deign to _do_ something." Shepard sighed giving vent to her bile on the subject of the council.

"This begs the question of what the point of this exercise is."

"I have to give them the information at least so that they can make their own decisions. After that we can get back to saving the galaxy." Shepard paused before adding darkly. "Whether it likes it or not."

...

It was late afternoon aboard the _Voice of Memory_ when it and its task force dropped out of one of the many relays in the Skyllian Verge. Shepard was once again within spitting distance, metaphorically speaking, of where her career had begun. She had selected Elysium as the perfect place to announce herself to the Galaxy once more. A fleet of strange warships sitting immobile and non-hostile in the middle of Alliance territory was bound to provoke a quick response.

It did. The moment that they had been disgorged by the relay and the traffic in the system had gotten over its surprise at being confronted with a strange fleet the comm channels had been deluged. It had taken Sira several minutes to sift through the chaos to find the signal that was directed at them. Moments later a harried looking Alliance officer resolved himself on the central holoprojector.

"Unknown vessels you are trespassing in the sovereign space of the System's Alliance. State your intentions within sixty seconds or we will consider you hostile." The officer demanded.

Miranda let out a short laugh. "Even if they did consider us hostile there wouldn't be much they could do to stop us. They only have a garrison of fighters."

"Lucky for them we aren't here to test their defences." Shepard remarked. "Sira open a channel."

Sira gave Shepard a nod to let her know that the channel was live.

"This is Emma Shepard, Captain of the _Voice of Memory_ and the officer in charge of the fleet. I assure you that our intentions are non-hostile. I have come here on behalf of the Geth to negotiate a formal peace treaty with the Council races."

The projection of the Alliance officer went slack jawed for a moment. Then an expression of fear replaced his confusion.

"You're here to abduct us!" The officer gasped.

"Apparently your reputation has preceded you." Sira laughed before realizing that the situation was no laughing matter.

"Very funny Sira." Shepard shot back before readdressing herself to the projection. "No, we aren't here to abduct the colony. Why else would we simply be sitting here doing nothing?"

"You could be lying!" The officer replied.

Shepard's astute eye discerned that her opposite number was a mere lieutenant which led her to suspect that the senior officer had not yet been informed of her arrival or was simply too busy trying to request reinforcements.

"Listen to me very carefully _Lieutenant._" Shepard ground out in irritation. "I am here as a diplomatic envoy. I want to be transferred to the ranking officer of Elysium immediately or I will be sorely tempted to carry through on the threat you think me capable of."

The lieutenant blanched and immediately fizzled out of existence.

"Harsh Emma, very harsh." Liara noted with a twinkle of amusement in her eye.

"What else could I do?" Shepard retorted with a shrug. The interplay between the two was cut off as a new officer resolved themselves on the holoprojector. Despite the new arrival's ruffled appearance he was quite familiar to Shepard.

"Admiral Hackett, taking leaves on Elysium these days?" Shepard remarked casually.

"Commander Shepard." Her former CO noted calmly. "What brings a criminal like you back into Alliance territory?"

"Diplomacy. You are talking to the emissary of the Geth." Shepard replied, hiding her irritation at being called a criminal. "If your subordinate had bothered to brief you I'm here to open negotiations and to send an important message."

"And what would the important message be?" Hackett asked, in a pragmatic tone.

"The Geth that the Alliance has faced up until now have been a splinter terrorist group and do not represent the Geth as a whole. While the Geth do desire peace they are amply prepared for war. The fleet that has accompanied me is a mere fraction of their total strength. Let these facts inform any decisions being made."

"If your intention is truly peaceful why did you decide to come here?"

"To get the attention of the Galactic community and to ensure that we get a fair hearing. Now admiral, I suggest that you contact your superiors on the Council and on Arcturus Station so that I can get an audience with the Council as soon as possible."

"Still the same as ever Shepard." Hackett snorted. "Bold as brass. I'll be in touch."

As Hackett's hologram dissipated Shepard let out the breath that she had been holding. Destiny had been set in motion and all that remained was to watch how events unfolded.

Fortunately for the crew it didn't take long for events to unfold. Scarcely three hours after their initial communication the Third Fleet arrived in the system. Even with its impressive size Shepard suspected that in a straight fight between the Alliance ships and the Geth that the Geth would emerge victorious. The diplomats from both the Council and the Alliance had arrived shortly after the warships. After a series of hasty communications all of which were notable for the total lack of trust on the part of all parties it was agreed that Shepard would meet the other two envoys in an empty field in a deserted region of Elysium. It had taken a considerable degree of audacity and patience to reach this point but Shepard felt that she was undeniably making progress. Taking a small team of Geth along with Miranda and Liara she departed for the rendezvous.

As the shuttle threaded its way between the ships of the taskgroup towards Elysium Shepard couldn't help but be amazed by the shear quantity of firepower in close proximity. It had dwarfed what had been thrown into the effort to blunt the Blitz. As the shuttle arrowed towards Elysium the greenish-blue bulk of the planet began to grow in the forward viewport. The descent was bumpy but the landing was quite smooth.

It was winter on Elysium and the field where the meeting was scheduled to take place was covered in snow. By the time Shepard had reached the boarding hatch a detachment of her Geth were already securing the perimeter. Shepard was glad that she had opted to wear a thick dress coat rather than more informal attire. Despite not wearing armour she was not unarmed. With a crunch of snow Shepard took her first step onto Alliance territory. After savouring the fresh air Shepard realized that the other emissaries had yet to arrive.

The massive bulk of the Geth Prime that she had come to associate with Praetorian joined her moments later.

"The perimeter is secure Shepard-Commander. Do you have orders?" The Prime said, in its customary monotone.

"Not at the moment. I wouldn't mind your company though."

"We are always with you Shepard-Commander. The concept of us being away from you is difficult to understand." The Prime replied in confusion.

"What Shepard means is organics find a physical presence comforting." Liara explained as she and Miranda joined them. Both were similarly attired to Shepard.

"Now aren't you glad you wore your dress uniform this time Miranda?" Shepard asked, unable to resist the urge to chide Miranda on her normally light attire.

"Surprisingly yes." Miranda rejoined, unwilling to rise to the bait. "Is it customary for the Alliance to keep envoys waiting in snowy fields or is this an exception?"

"I wouldn't know." Shepard sighed.

Their conversation was interrupted by the soft roar of approaching engines.

"Praetorian, recall your Geth to the shuttle and have them take positions to cover us." Shepard ordered.

"By your command." Praetorian replied as it dispatched the commands to the other Geth.

"Maybe letting the Geth download that old Earth vid was a mistake." Liara wondered out loud.

Shepard's reply was obscured as the beetle like Kodiak shuttle of the Alliance delegate drifted over the field for a landing opposite them. It was followed swiftly by a dagger like turian craft for the Council envoy. Two platoons of marines issued from each of the newly arrived ships. The marines formed a defensive line pointing their weapons at Shepard's party. The two diplomats emerged from their respective shuttles several minutes later.

The Alliance diplomat was a hawkish looking man of impressive height and carriage. His turian counterpart was of equal height which meant that he was short for a turian. Judging from the turian diplomat's pigmentation and appearance he was of advanced age. The turian was also the first to speak.

"Emma Shepard we are here to determine whether or not your concerns are of sufficient merit for you to address the council." The turian half yelled from behind his cordon of marines.

"What diplomacy lacks is a sense of trust and a strength of character on the part of the diplomats." Shepard remarked as she moved in front of her contingent of Geth. "Why don't you come out from behind your men so we don't have to yell at each other?"

The human envoy was the first to somewhat hesitantly edge out in front of his guards. The turian reluctantly followed his counterpart. Once the three were facing each other the discussion recommenced. The human was first.

"Emma Shepard, you are a traitor to both the Alliance and the Council. In any other circumstance we would be bound to arrest you." The human envoy stated in a cold voice.

"Fortunately for you this isn't any other circumstance." Shepard replied icily. "Now I didn't come here to trade insults. I will address the council about a matter of stolen Geth property. Should you attempt to impede my efforts then the galaxy as we know it will end. It will be consumed first by a war between sentients and synthetics and then the ashes will be consumed by the Reapers."

"You would dare threaten the council with these outrageous notions!" The turian practically gobbled in rage.

"I would dare a great many things." Shepard returned in an even tone. "Now the two of you are going to smooth my passage to the Citadel and to the Council."

"We will do no such thing." The human interrupted.

"It isn't wise to interrupt me." Shepard growled menacingly causing the human to turn white. She continued as though nothing had happened. "You will do this because you have no choice. Well actually you do. You can ignore me in which case my fleet and I will withdraw quietly. When we return our numbers will blot out the sun and then you'll remember this moment. You can also choose to swallow your pride and get me to the Council as soon as possible before all out war becomes a reality."

The two envoys stared at her. Neither was capable of speech.

"I'll be returning to my ship. If I haven't heard from you within the hour then I and the Geth shall assume that a state of war exists between us. Good day gentlemen." Shepard concluded harshly. She spun on her heel without a second glance leaving the two envoys in their shocked silence.

As she reached her cordon of Geth the human envoy summoned enough composure to shout a question. "What happened to you Shepard? You were a hero not a traitor!"

Shepard rounded to face the envoy. "I died. Rebirth has a way of opening your eyes."

With a motion Shepard waved her party back to the shuttle. As soon as they were aboard Liara and Miranda were already bombarding her with questions and criticism.

"That was awfully risky Shepard and not terribly diplomatic." Miranda interjected first.

"I agree with Miranda." Liara seconded. "I don't think browbeating diplomats is the way to get what we want."

"Diplomacy is a game." Shepard opined. "Like the human game of chess I attempt to manoeuvre myself and my allies to the best possible positions. Those two back on the planet were pawns just as Hackett and the lieutenant before him were."

"How can you be sure?" Liara asked in confusion.

"You would never send anyone valuable to deal with a murderous traitor even if she claimed to be the Empress of the Geth herself. In my case I just claimed to be their emissary."

"Humanity doesn't see you that way." Miranda exclaimed in surprise.

"I suspect that some do. At best I am a cipher to them and at worst a serious threat." Shepard explained. "I need to reach the Council quickly to bring the crisis to a quick end. To appear dangerous and unpredictable to the underlings will be an advantage. When I appear to their masters my true character will come as a surprise."

"You're thinking of this as a military campaign and you're fighting asymmetric warfare!" Miranda realized.

"Exactly. With surprise on my side I can have the crisis resolved before the Council can even pause to catch their breath."

"Cunning Emma." Liara chided with a wave of her finger. "You just have to hope that no one the council is smart enough to see through your gambit."

"Or stupid enough to take me at face value." Shepard replied with a nervous smile.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: There is a longer a/n at the end concerning the state of the fic and its future direction. In the meantime, I would like to thank my two reviewers for the last chapter. More reviews are always better. Without further ado on with the story.

Chapter XXXII: The Bell Tolls for Thee

As Shepard predicted it took the two 'pawns' only a half of an hour to secure permission for her and her fleet to approach within one relay of the Citadel. After a bit of haggling Shepard had secured permission for both the _Voice of Memory_ and Nemesis to transit the relay. She had been deliberately vague about exactly what Nemesis was. It wouldn't do to tip her hand prematurely. There was another motivation behind Shepard's decision to accede to Nemesis's request. She wanted to test the Reaper. When confronted with an opportunity to welcome its kind through the Citadel Relay Nemesis' actions would be the ultimate proof of its loyalty. She could feel the Reaper's silent laughter at the test she had come up with for the machine but inside it she felt approval.

Nemesis had been running under stealth for the past several jumps and had been maintaining a discreet distance so that the escorting Alliance vessels would be hard pressed to spot it. As they approached the final relay the black shape of the Reaper detached itself from the background of stars and entered formation with the _Voice_. As Shepard predicted a panicked and threatening message from the captain of her escort followed the appearance of the Reaper. Shepard mentally sighed as she convinced the recalcitrant officer that the Reaper was her escort.

Her success only proved two things. The first was that the entire Citadel fleet would have every single weapon they had pointed at her and Nemesis for the entire duration of their stay. The second was that the Council was horribly overconfident and ignorant. They still thought that Reapers were highly advanced AI dreadnaughts likely created by the Geth. Due to the Council's organic centric perspective of the universe they would believe Shepard to be in control of the ship. Their success in defeating Sovereign would likely contribute to their overconfidence and mistaken belief that they were in control of the situation.

"Worried?" Liara asked as she correctly interpreted Shepard's thoughts.

"More about the Council than what we have to do."

"Then let your mind turn to the task at hand and let the worries take care of themselves." Liara quoted.

"What was that?"

"I actually can't remember."

"We're jumping." Joker announced from the helm.

The _Voice_ shuddered for a moment as it was caught in the energies of the relay and shuddered again as it decelerated. The two dreadnaughts and their escorts emerged into the gaseous clouds of the Serpentine Nebula to find the bulk of the Citadel fleet staring them down. Shepard an immediate and eerie false memory of the beginning of the battle of the Citadel except that this time it was from Sovereign's perspective. Fortunately none of the assembled vessels opened fire. The escorts guided the two dreadnaughts to a holding pattern within the Citadel's arms.

As Joker set the _Voice of Memory_'s engines to station keeping Shepard breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't been blown to smithereens the moment she had arrived which had to count for something.

"We are receiving landing coordinates." Sira reported.

"This it then." Shepard whispered to herself, taking a deep breath before turning to address the assembled crew in the rear of the bridge. "Alright, the situation is this. We are in the middle of the Citadel fleet. Their intentions are unknown and could turn hostile. We'll maintain a standby alert. Keep the barriers charged and ready but do not ready the weapons except on my express order. According to the information I've received the Council wants to billet the delegation on the Citadel proper and for several days. I suppose they want us handy so that we can't keep them waiting."

"But they can certainly keep us waiting." Joker snorted derisively.  
"Thank you Joker. We're all aware that the universe likes to use us as the butt of its perverse humour. The council doing the same shouldn't come as any kind of surprise." Shepard continued. "Should the preliminary negotiations run smoothly there will be the possibility of shore leave. Heavens know that we could all use it. Leave will be drawn by lot but should there be leave I assure you that everyone will get some. That aside the delegation proper will composed of myself, Miranda, Liara, Tali, Legion, Praetorian, Garrus and Dr. Solus."

"So we're getting the longer vacation?" Garrus wondered from the back of the crowd.

"Very funny Garrus. You're coming because I haven't the faintest clue how to read turian body language. The same goes for Dr. Solus. While we're on the station Commander Pierce whom we so recently managed to recover will be in command."

"More like we found you." Marisa laughed. The _Normandy_ had actually 'found' the _Voice of Memory_ as it had exited the Veil which in short was quite a feat.

Shepard gave other officer a smirk before continuing. "Now I don't need to remind anyone that we're all criminals and the only thing protecting us from the injustice of the Council is that flimsy concept of diplomatic immunity. So don't provoke CSec and do your best to appear normal."

"That's a good one coming from you." Liara muttered.

"Alright you disobedient pirates, you're all dismissed." Shepard concluded with a soft smile.

...

Shepard watched as the hangar bay of her ship gave way to the violet hues of the Sepentine Nebula. Under Justina's skilled hands the view from the shuttle's viewport shifted from one of the Nebula to a view of the impressive bulk of the Citadel. The shuttle traced a course parallel to one of the massive arms. Commercial traffic whisked by them as they drew closer to one of the hangar bays located on the Presidium level of the Citadel. Eventually the view was entirely occupied with the waiting maw of the bay. Taking this as her cue Shepard headed for the passenger compartment. As she moved further back each of the passengers gave her a nod or in one or two cases a wink. Everyone was trying their best to contain their nervousness at returning to the Citadel. They touched down moments later and nervousness gave way to anticipation.

Shepard was the first to exit the shuttle. With a formal uniform and sword at her side she looked every bit the warrior turned diplomat. The rest of her party had opted for what they felt was appropriate. In Miranda's case it manifested as a uniform in the same style as Shepard's while in Garrus's case it was a set of brand new armour. Regardless of attire the delegation made an impression on their hosts. A team of CSec officers were waiting for them on accompanied by several of the councillors' aides. A hush descended over the hangar bay. The leading aide, a human man stepped forward.

"Emissary Shepard, on behalf of the Citadel Council I bid both welcome to you and to your party." The aide greeted formally.

"On behalf of my party and the Geth we are grateful that the Council has deigned to hear us." Shepard replied, completing the formal greeting.

"We have arranged quarters and a round the clock security force for your protection. You will be allowed to keep your personal arms everywhere except in the Citadel tower." The aide informed them. "If you'll follow me I'll see you to the quarters that we've prepared for you."

Shepard nodded in response. The party grew even larger as the CSec guards closed in around them and they made slow progress through the hangar and the adjoining CSec academy. Eventually they made it to a convoy of hovercars which whisked them from the hangar to their quarters.

It appeared as though the Council had gone to some trouble to billet them in one of the blocks of apartments reserved for visiting dignitaries. Emma had the impression of being in a luxury hotel complete with a liveried doorman and receptionist. She realized that the aide had been saying something but that she had completely missed what he had said.

"I was saying." The aide reiterated in annoyance, "That you will be able to address the Council in two days time. In the meantime the Geth vessel is being moved to the Citadel where it will remain in an internment dock until its status has been decided by the Council. I trust that this meets with your satisfaction."

"Well at least it's good to see the Council taking us seriously." Miranda said sarcastically, as she breezed past Shepard towards the reception.

"What's the delay?" Shepard questioned. "Did I not communicate the urgency of my mission?"

"The Council is unfortunately backlogged with other _very_ pressing matters." The aide retorted smugly, evidently pleased to be withholding information.

Shepard turned away from the aide. It was clear she would get nothing more from him. "Show us to our quarters." She ordered dismissively.

...

Shepard's quarters were larger than the ones she had aboard the _Voice_. A series of windows offered a view of the surrounding towers of the ward. A bulky turian freighter drifted by as Shepard watched. A soft chime let her know that someone was waiting for her at the door. Opening it she found one of the maintenance personnel accompanying what appeared to be her baggage. Shepard had anticipated a stay of several days but had not anticipated that she would be stuck waiting for the Council to rouse itself from its bureaucratic slumber. The clerk set her bags down and departed without a word leaving the door open. As Shepard turned to check her bags she became aware of approaching footsteps.

Glancing over her shoulder she noticed a strange figure in the doorway of her apartment. Instinct took over rapidly and had her pistol in her hand and pointed at the intruder in mere seconds.

"I see that disappearing from Citadel space has done nothing to dull your reflexes Shepard." The wraith like figure laughed.

"Why don't you come out of the shadows and let me see you. Less chance of missing that way." Shepard mocked.

"If you insist." The figure conceded.

Stepping into the middle of her apartment Shepard found herself face to face with the very same asari Spectre who had promised to hunt her down, Senni Vensa.

"You!" Shepard gasped. "You can't do anything to me. I'm a diplomat."

"Yes I can but I'm not going to." Senni laughed. "Settle down Shepard. I'm not here to arrest you, quite the opposite in fact."

"Let me guess you're here to protect me." Shepard said, with a cold glare.

"Bang on." The spectre returned. "The Council decided that, given your coloured history, you needed some extra special security. Since I had been following your career as it were I was drafted. Not exactly my most interesting assignment."

"I am so sorry for inconveniencing you." Shepard smirked, the sarcasm dripping from her words.

"Save it Shepard." Senni laughed. "If you think to irritate me then you're wasting your time."

"I must say that for a Spectre you did a pathetic job of tracking me down and bringing me to justice. If I had done the kind of job you did in tracking down Saren." Shepard paused to savour the moment. "Well let's just say that we would all be dead now."

"Savour your false victory all you like Shepard." Senni returned seriously. "The truth of the matter is that some very powerful people pulled some strings to get me to take a lax approach to you. If I had wanted you dead you would have breathed your last on Illium."

"The first time or the second time?"

"Either." Senni replied casually with a wave of her hand. The asari settled down on to one of the over stuffed sofas, considered the sofa for a second and made a patting motion by her side.

Shepard sat opposite her which elicited a shrug from the Spectre.

"Alright Vensa, what are you doing here?" Shepard held up her hand before continuing. "And don't give me the cover story."

"You win Shepard." Senni sighed. "I'm here to seduce you. Steal you away from that maiden you keep on your ship and have lots and lots of blue children with you."

Shepard's mouth dropped open. She blinked.

"You should see your face." Senni laughed as she examined the tray of drinks in front of her.

"You're awfully funny. I don't remember you being this funny the last time we met." Shepard grumbled.

"That was business. When it's business I'm quite serious. When it's not I tend to like to be informal. Helps prevent the build up of stress."

"So you aren't going to tell me what you're here for." Shepard sighed conceding defeat.

"Well the reason will be arriving in a little bit. In the meantime, how about a drink?" Senni said as she offered Shepard a glass of Serrice brandy before taking one herself.

Shepard took an experimental sip, just to confirm that it actually was simple alcohol. The taste was sweet with a fiery aftertaste. Senni had noticed Shepard's hesitation.

"While the prospect of drugging your drink and having my wicked way with your helpless body did occur to me I decided that I simply didn't have enough sedatives on my person to accomplish it. A pity." Senni sighed theatrically. It appeared, to Shepard at least, that the asari was getting a great deal of pleasure from making her squirm. Shepard was half tempted to give the asari a taste of her own medicine but for the fact that she wasn't entirely sure that the asari wouldn't take whatever advance she made seriously. The after effects and implications would be, as Dr. Solus was fond of saying, unpleasant.

"So Shepard, how do you propose we spend our wait?" Senni asked breaking the silence after she had savoured her own drink. "A drinking contest? No. You've already said no to pleasures of the flesh. Maybe we should talk shop."

"Oh?" Shepard inquired, interested in what the asari would say next.

"How about we play a game?" Senni began. "It's called the truth. You tell me a truth and I'll tell you a truth. You can ask me any question and I'll answer it but in return you have to answer my question. You can go first."

"Alright," Shepard replied hesitantly before pausing to decide what she would ask. "Why is it that I'm officially to blame for the colonies disappearing but no one is trying to bring me to justice?"

"You are convenient distraction Shepard. The Council knows full well that you aren't really behind the disappearances but allowed the Systems Alliance to use you as a scapegoat." Senni explained. "What the Council really wants is to know just what you've been doing and how we can best make use of you. You may not be a Spectre anymore but you could still prove to be an asset."

"I've grown rather fond of choosing my own path."

"Come off it Shepard. You and I both know that free will is just an illusion. Somewhere, sometime, this was all written out. We're just following the roles that destiny has laid down for us. Anyway, philosophy aside it's my turn to ask you a question." Senni said, conversationally. "Most important question first, did you really die over Alcherra or was that a ruse?"

"I'm surprise that you don't know the answer to that. I did die. I was killed by the Collectors. Cerberus recovered my corpse and put me back together."  
"So the cosmetic changes to your face and body were their doing?"

"Yes but answering that question violates the rules of the game." Shepard chided. "My next question: how exactly does the Council want to use me?"

"You are the perfect evolution of a Spectre." Senni answered. "You are a private force with no loyalty to a greater galactic power. Your existence can be denied and your actions foresworn."

"You didn't answer the question." Shepard pointed out.

"True." Senni responded with the hint of a smile. "To answer the question would take a very long time. It depends on how much you know about the internal politics of the Council species."

"Not much."

"As I suspected. To get straight to the point the Council believes that there is a concerted effort underway to undermine the peace between the sentient races. All galactic powers have stepped up their military procurement leading to a secret arms race. Second, domestic political agendas have shifted alarmingly. Finally and most alarmingly certain military units have acted in an almost mutinous manner. Certain warships have been found entire systems from their designated patrol zones. Efforts to uncover where these tendency begin have been unsuccessful. This crisis is a secret. No-one, I repeat no-one but the Council and a few chosen Spectres know about it."

Senni's playful demeanour had disappeared as she explained. Those words coupled with what Emily had said to her earlier made Shepard worried but true to her nature she remained cautious. The possibility that the council was attempting to ensnare her in one of their schemes had not escaped her.

"Do you have any leads? Any idea of where this 'insurrection' is coming from?"

"The only lead we have is an off-shoot turian religious cult called the Followers of the One. One of the turian officers responsible for the ship deployments was a member. Attempts to infiltrate the cult or even keep an eye on them have failed."

"So you're telling me that a group of turians is behind a concerted effort to plunge the galaxy into war."

"Indeed. What the council wants you to do about them will be up to them. They should be arriving in just a few moments." Senni said, relishing the look of shock on Shepard's face.

True to Senni's word the Council's advanced guard arrived moments later. Shepard had to surrender both her pistol and sword to the guards and submit to a pat down and weapons scan before the Council entered. Once the security screening was complete the guards withdrew allowing the Council entry. Shepard was already on her feet and Senni joined her in welcoming the four councillors into her room. The first to enter were the asari and the salarian. They were joined moments later by Andersen and the turian councillor, Velarn. With a quick motion councillor Tevos waved for the party to sit. Shepard sat down rather heavily and was joined by Senni, the Spectre was keeping a close eye on her in the presence of the Council. She still hadn't quite recovered from her shock at being confronted with the Council so quickly. She half wondered if they had staged the entire situation deliberately to catch her off guard.

As was tradition Tevos began the negotiation. "Emma Shepard you were once our agent and now we find ourselves sitting opposite one another with you the emissary of the Geth. Fate seems to enjoy its little ironies."

"Indeed it does Madam Councillor." Shepard replied, composing herself once more.

"When we are not in session you may address us by our names rather than our titles. It helps to remind us that we are still people rather than offices." Tevos concluded, laughing musically.

Shepard nodded in agreement and waited for the Council to take the next step.

"The meeting the day after tomorrow is a mere formalty Shepard." Velarn began. "We have persuaded the humans to surrender the Geth ship. We know about their technology but the Council has decided that it is far too dangerous to fall into the hands of any race. The drive has been disassembled. We would formally ask the Geth to discontinue their work in this field as its very presence risks galactic war."

"The only thing that needs to be settled with regard to the Geth is compensation." Andersen added, snatching the proverbial baton from his turian counterpart. "I'm sure that given our distinguished counterpart's skill it shouldn't be that difficult."

"To be candid. I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome." Shepard sighed in relief.

"Your relief would be premature." The salarian councillor, Trace, intoned. "Your arrival with a Reaper raises many questions."

"Indeed it does." Tevos agreed. "We need you to be totally honest with us about what has happened to you over the past several months. More importantly we need to know how much of you remains human and how much has become something else."

Shepard rose to her feet angrily causing Senni to rise with her. "The last time I checked I wasn't in your employ anymore. In fact you were the ones who sent me to my death." Shepard growled. "If I have become something else that is entirely my business. I don't want to be judged by you or anyone else."

The councillors looked taken a back except for Andersen who was used to Shepard's fiery temper.

"You have to see it from our perspective Shepard. We don't know much about what has happened to you. What we do know is mostly rumour and conjecture. More importantly we need you and because of it we need to know that we can trust you." Andersen councilled.

"Tell me what you want of me and I'll tell if I can help you." Shepard replied somewhat mollified by Andersen's remarks.

"To reveal that much information to you would be folly when we don't know your loyalties." Trace interrupted.

"Please Shepard, humour us. The fate of the galaxy may well depend on it." Tevos soothed.

"Very well then." Shepard sighed, before settling back down. "My situation is thus: I am alive when I should be dead. Cerberus restored my body and mind through the use of cybernetics. I've had more added to my body by the AI of the dreadnaught that I now command. I'm at the point where my Geth tell me that I'm almost 80% cybernetic. So the simple answer is that I'm barely human. My mind and, I hope, my soul remain."

The council stirred uncomfortably at Shepard's revelation.

"You said your Geth. Do the Geth see you as their leader?" Velarn asked.

"That's a hard question Velarn but then you always did enjoy tormenting me. A group of Geth see me as their commander. The majority, however, see me as their asset maybe even their ally."

"Is your flagship the Reaper?" Andersen asked worriedly.

"No, it's the other ship. The ship and AI are Prothean."

"Really, very interesting." Tevos said, her face betraying nothing of what she was thinking.

"You can talk to Sira directly if you want." Shepard offered. Without waiting for an answer Shepard concentrated on focusing the holoemitters throughout her body. Sira sprang into existence seconds later.

"The Citadel Council, a pleasure." Sira began with a bow. "I am Sira the AI of the _Voice of Memory_. Keeper of the echoes of the Protheans."

If the council were surprised at Shepard's revelation they were shocked by Sira's appearance.

"You are an AI." Tevos managed dumbfounded.

"Indeed Councillor or perhaps I should call you Alianna." Sira replied with a soft laugh. "I could tell you a great deal about yourself. Maybe your colleagues would be interested in your history. I know I certainly was."

"That would be quite unnecessary and inappropriate." Tevos shot back colouring slightly.

Sira gave a shrug.

"Behave Sira." Shepard hissed at the AI.

"So she's Prothean? She doesn't look much like one." Velarn remarked.

"I am indeed a Prothean construct. I have taken a considerable portion of dear Emma's personality to make me the AI you see now." Sira remarked before continuing in a low voice. "I'm also an AI that appreciates being addressed as an individual and not treated like a can opener."

"You will have to forgive my colleagues. We haven't had many dealings with synthetics before." Andersen consoled.

"I can't imagine why." Sira replied under her breath.

"It is apparent that Sira is quite lifelike." Tevos began. "Could you describe your relationship?"

"Sisters." Sira replied sweetly.

"Sira and I are mentally linked together." Shepard explained ignoring Sira. "We have a perfect consensus when it comes to decision making. That said we both retain the capacity for independent thought and action. You might say that we're both our own people."

Tevos responded with a slight 'ahh' which signified that she really didn't understand.

"I would suggest that you join minds to Emma." Sira confided to Tevos in a stage whisper. "You might glean a better understanding except that the last asari who did that without Emma's permission ended up in a serious relationship with a Reaper."

"Thanks for the suggestion." Tevos hissed, clearly displeased with Sira's continued taunting.

"You'll have to excuse Sira. She may be reflecting my distrust of you." Shepard explained.

"What interests me is what you said about the Reaper." Trace said, interrupting Shepard's apology and addressing Sira directly.

As Sira was about to explain the lights in the room blinked out one by one. Everyone was on their feet in an instant. As Shepard's eyes adjusted to the murk she noticed that the room had been bathed in a deep red glow. The glow grew brighter until she could see the transfixed expressions on the Council's faces. They were looking at something behind her. Shepard turned and found herself staring at a life sized projection of Nemesis hovering above a hologram pod in the corner of the room.

"Honoured Council members, meet Nemesis one of the Reapers." Shepard introduced hesitantly.

"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding." Nemesis intoned in a deep, rich voice filled with malevolence. "I am beyond your comprehension but not beyond hers. I am Nemesis."

"That's a Reaper?" Tevos managed. Her question came out as a cross between a squeak and gasp.

"Reaper, a label created by the Protheans to give voice to their end. What they chose to call is irrelevant. We simply are."

"That's impossible. Nothing can survive that long." Velarn growled shaking his head in disbelief.

"Sira did." Nemesis pointed out with the hint of smugness. "We have survived because we have yet to attain perfection. Organic life is the key to attaining perfection."

"How?" Tevos asked.

"My kind transcends your very understanding, asari. We are each a nation formed of many voices. Each voice was once a life. They now sing together in a symphony, in unity. The Others do not. They have only discord."

"What others?" Andersen asked.

"Nemesis is unique. It is an aberration." Shepard explained. "It believes that organic life does not need to be harvested unlike its fellows. In a very real sense Nemesis is a defector."

"You convinced a Reaper to join your cause?" Tevos exclaimed.

"We convinced her to join _our_ cause!" Nemesis interrupted in a scathing howl. "And we will convince you as well! The Others are legion. The time of their return is at hand. They will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your fate."

"Fate? What fate?" Velarn snarled.

"Turian." Nemesis intoned with relish as the projection detached itself from the pod and advanced on the Velarn. "You were considered. Too primitive."

"The Reapers seek to wipe out all sentient life. It's what they were programmed for. It's who they are." Shepard explained, parsing Nemesis' prophetic words into plain text.

"So you were telling the truth?" Trace asked, half to himself.

"Yes. All too late you realize it." Shepard replied, unable to keep a note of bitterness from seeping into her words.

"This is a crisis but we are facing a more immediate crisis than what this thing is prophesising." Velarn interjected angrily. "These Reapers have yet to show themselves. Our enemies already have and if they succeed then the Reapers won't have to do anything."

"So you trust me?" Shepard asked.

"You are a hybrid of organic and synthetic evolution. You have a Reaper as an ally and you work for the Geth. No we don't trust you but we do need you." Tevos summed up. "Because we need you we have to trust you."

Apparently what the Councillors had to say next was of interest to both Nemesis and Sira as the lighting returned to normal moments later. The two projections took position behind Shepard and waited expectantly for the next move. The organics in the room uneasily settled back into their seats. At a nod from her counterparts Tevos composed herself before continuing.

"As Senni may or may not have mentioned internal affairs within the territories of the Council races have become, unsettling. While we have yet to lose control a cancer is spreading through our respective militaries and government branches."

"How do you know this?" Shepard asked.

"We've had military commanders engage in inexplicable acts which do not benefit them or the nations they serve. We have had bureaucrats engage in increasingly glaring lapses in judgement with regard to shipping critical supplies to colonies. Journalists have been concentrating on seemingly irrelevant stories of xenophobia while forgetting about serious problems. Politicians have recently been advocating policies of isolationism." Trace summarized.

"In short these are a number of symptoms of a much larger problem." Velarn concluded.

"Or they could be symptoms of decaying societies." Shepard offered. She held up her hand to still the criticism before it began. "I know that this may be a long shot but if you want me to help you with this then I need more than a series of random occurrences. What is it that really has you rattled?"

The councillors exchanged a series of meaningful glances. Andersen spearheaded the next round of revelations.

"What you may not know having been absent from Council space for so long is that there is a rumour on everyone's lips. At least everyone human's lips. It's that the turians are responsible for the disappearances." Andersen revealed.

"That's nonsense!" Shepard laughed. "No one could believe that the turians would be capable of this."

"That was why the Parliament voted, in a secret session, to lay the blame at your feet. Better a human be blamed for the disappearances than an alien." Andersen continued.

"So I've been on the run all this time for the benefit of the System's Alliance Parliament? Well remind me to vote for another party next election!" Shepard grumbled.

"The problem is," Andersen said, "that the rumour is not without some basis in fact. What I am about to say is highly classified so keep it confidential. The wreck of a turian frigate was found on Ferris Fields, one of the colonies that disappeared last month. Turian corpses were also found as were signs of a landing by other ships. Inquires were made and the turians found that three vessels including the wrecked frigate were missing from their duty stations at the time. The frigate was declared lost in a reactor accident and the other ship's crews were interrogated. It was revealed that they had been operating under secret but perfectly legal orders from the Hierarchy to observe the colony. How the frigate crashed is still unknown. We mounted a coverup and destroyed all the evidence."

"To cut a long story short." Velarn interrupted again. "We're worried that this kind of thing will occur again and this time the evidence will be made public."

"Which will result in a galactic war between the Humans and the Turians." Shepard breathed. The pieces were already in motion in her mind.

"You see Shepard?" Tevos asked. "This type of crisis has the potential to totally undermine the peace that this Council has worked for. We need you to root out this cancer and deal with it."

"What my distinguished colleague means is to extirpate it with extreme prejudice." Velarn added.

"Why me?" Shepard asked. "This is what Spectres are for."

"As I said Shepard. You are completely deniable." Senni interjected, breaking her silence. "The Spectres still have to report to the Council. We can be reassigned. Someone who doesn't exist can't be. Once we ask you to do this we expect you to carry through on it and not to stop no matter what happens."

"You know I'm not a piece of precision ordinance." Shepard remarked. "I'm also retired. I like being retired. It gives me time to pursue other interests like stopping the Reapers!"

"Shepard." Andersen growled.

"No, you listen to me. I have a mission and a crew." Shepard interrupted. "What you want me to do is a job that any Spectre can do. I'd lay down even money that it's either some turian version of Cerberus that wants the turians to 'seize their manifest destiny' or some secret Hierarchy operation that went wrong. The rest of it is a scare story. What you want is me back in the fold."

"Give us the room." Tevos ordered, in a sharp whisper that brooked no debate.

The other councillors and Senni reluctantly filed out. Sira and Nemesis vanished moments later. Shepard watched the Councillor impassively. As soon as the room emptied Tevos stood and crossed over to the viewport.

"It's a strange feeling to have to turn to you as the only one I can trust." Tevos sighed. "I wasn't lying to you about you being all we've got. The truth is you are all I have."

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked, suspicious now.

"Both Velarn and Trace have returned to their respective homeworlds before we had our first inkling of what was going on." Tevos answered regretfully. "They cannot be trusted. The secret that I've been hiding from you is that the corpses from the colony show signs of being brainwashed. Your report on Virmire informed us of a technology that Saren was using that has the same effect."

"Indoctrination." Shepard supplied as she joined Tevos by the viewport.

"The analysis that some of my people conducted in secret on the cadavers revealed that this had been used on the turians. I've kept it a secret."

"My God." Shepard breathed. "This is the Reaper's pre-invasion strategy."

"Quite likely." Tevos agreed, solemnly. "You are the only operative with first hand experience of indoctrination. You are also a threat to whoever is behind the conspiracy. Just like I am."

"What am I supposed to do?" Shepard asked.

"I cannot say exactly. So far the others haven't done anything suspicious. They may not have been compromised but we can't afford to take the chance." Tevos considered for a moment. "When I call them back in I want you to play along with me. Pretend that you have decided to refuse me. We will conclude the negotiations over the Geth ship quickly. I will arrange to have the charges against you dropped and for your crew to take shore leave here if they desire it. You should do your best to appear normal or as close to normal as you can. Leave according to your schedule. You remember what Senni said about that turian cult?"

"Followers of the One?"

"Yes. Do what you can to infiltrate them. Also ask that defector of yours what it knows about the Reapers' plans. If they are behind it we have to know and quickly."

"What about Andersen?"

"As far as I know he is still trustworthy but the fewer people that know the truth about our little arrangement the better. You can pass the intelligence through Senni. She's trustworthy. I grant you permission to take whatever actions you think are necessary. I will support your decisions. For the goddess' sake I hope you act quickly."

"I will Councillor. If this is a Reaper stratagem then I'll make sure that it fails." Shepard replied confidently.

"I can ask for nothing more then." Tevos replied, with a hint of relief. The Councillor turned and headed for the door. As she opened it she turned to face Shepard and addressed her for the benefit of the security detail and other councillors. "It is a pity you decided not to help us Shepard. We can only hope that you will reconsider."

Here be spoilers!

A/N: This is a state of the fiction note so if you are worried about spoilers for the rest of the story please don't read it. That said, this note will clear up where we are going in the next little while. First, I intend to finish this part of the story by, at the latest, the end of March which is ironically when I first started writing. Secondly, there should only be a maximum of 10 chapters left. To put it succinctly I intend to cover Horizon, the Shadow Broker, the Suicide mission proper and one final event that will lead to the next book. As you have by now guessed certain elements will not be making an appearance. Unfortunately Grunt, Jack, Thane, Samara, and Zaeed will not be making an appearance in this section of the story. I have realized that if I did decide to include them then it would mean that the story would probably strech another 50 chapters and I would never ever get to where I wanted with it. I have also realized that I can barely keep up with the A team characters that I have. Even the B team has become rather flat. This was simply a case of me being overly ambitious. Live and learn I suppose. This is also not to say that I won't be including some of the afforementioned characters in the next part. With any luck I can take what I've learned from this first (epically long) foray into fiction and use it to make the next part of the story a bit tighter. Finally, as a treat to everyone that read this far, I intend to make the next story an alternating dual perspective story focussing equally on Miranda and Shepard. I will also confide to you the following words in relation to the next story: Dark Space. That is all and thanks for reading.

~Archon


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: The Citadel arc comes to a close with a dance! Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter and for all of you looking forward to more action you need only hold on for the next chapter. In one final note I would appreciate reviews concerning whether or not the Shepard/Liara relationship works in this chapter. Answering the question of whether or not it is A) too sweet B) not sweet enough or C) just right would go a long way to ameliorating it in the future.

Chapter XXXIII: A Small Measure of Peace

After the crowd of security personnel and the Council left Shepard let out a sigh of relief. Tevos' revelation that the Council had been compromised had left Shepard shaken. Verifying that she was alone she keyed the door lock.

As requested the hazy reddish hologram of Nemesis sprang into existence before her.

"We told you that our asari counterpart would have been useful to you on this mission. Communicating with you directly by this primitive means is irksome." Nemesis greeted her.

"You can start by telling me what's going on with this insurrection and then we can move on to how we stop it." Shepard interrogated completely ignoring the Reaper's greeting.

"You seem distressed Emma. Did this manoeuvre catch you by surprise?" Nemesis retorted, answering her question with another question.

"What are the chances of me ever getting a straight answer from you?" Shepard groaned.

"The chances of that are slim. In this case I will deign to inform you that your feelings on this matter are correct. It is quite likely that my kind are indeed behind this particular operation."

"So these cultists are indoctrinated?" Shepard asked.

"Indeed, though it would seem far more sophisticated than the indoctrination we have utilized in the past."

"Given what you know what are the chances of this being the second move in the Reaper's game?" Shepard queried.

Nemesis laughed. "Chess is such a quaint human invention. Its incarnation of Kriegspiel is a better metaphor for your current situation. The Reapers know the positioning of their pieces and you think you know where your pieces are and it falls to us to arbitrate. To answer your question we would suggest that the use of this cult implies that the mid-game is already well advanced and your opponents are preparing to sacrifice their pawns to create discord in your ranks."

"They're planning something aren't they?"

"If they were we would be the last to know. Much as it is painful for us to admit the asari's strategy is your best course of action. Concentrate on the gambit you can see and work toward the creation of your own. For the moment you must be simultaneously aware of this new threat and ignore it."

"More riddles." Shepard sighed. "Thank you anyway."

"I will return to my analysis of the data from Tartarus."

"Found anything?" Shepard asked, changing the tack of the conversation.

"Many things about the Creators. About a means of stopping the Reapers – few. We are sure that a safeguard has been engineered into the very design of the Reapers but what it is, how it works, and more importantly how it can be activated is proving illusive."

"So there is a means of destroying them?"

"The safeguard may not even be a means of destroying them. The reference to it speaks of a twofold system. One part intended to conclude the mission of the Reapers while another part is dedicated to the resurrection of the Creators. The language utilized in this case is clothed in pseudo religious metaphor and racial theory. It is not useful."

"Is there anywhere were we could find a complete archive? Some place like Tartarus Station?"

"We know of only one place or rather one being." Nemesis intoned solemnly.

"Archon." Shepard finished.

"Yes. Archon is first among the Reapers. We know for a fact that it has the entire archive in its complete and unabridged form. While Archon's motivations are a cipher it is certain that it has an interest in you. You will have to find it and recover the archive if either of us is to have any hope of reaching our goals."

"A trip into dark space. Lovely!" Shepard snorted.

"If there is nothing more?" Nemesis queried.

Shepard shook her head and sat down. Nemesis' projection slowly faded out of existence. Picking up her neglected drink she took a sip. The soft chime of her door broke the stillness of the room.

When Shepard opened the door she was unsurprised to find Liara standing before her. Taking note of Shepard's weary looking features Liara raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I was just talking to the Council." Shepard explained, answering the unspoken question.

"The Citadel Council?" Liara asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"The one and only." Shepard laughed tiredly. "You'll never guess what happened next."

"You were conscripted?" Liara suggested.

"In a manner of speaking. It seems that the Reapers have moved on to phase two of their plan. They seem to have planted sleeper agents throughout Citadel space. The Council wants me to air them out."

"Then the situation just got a lot worse." Liara remarked as the two returned to the couch. "Do we have any leads?"

"Only some sort of turian cult." Shepard sighed. "The councillor thought we should act normal so we don't tip our hand. If you want my opinion this whole 'plan' is for the sake of doing something so that we don't feel like we're doing nothing. She doesn't know what to do and we don't know what to do."

Liara let out a soft sigh. It seemed that the weariness was contagious. She drew her legs up on to the sofa and burrowed herself into Shepard's side before letting another, more contented sigh.

"What councillor Tevos was suggesting was not inaction." Liara stated ignoring Shepard's surprised start at her divination. "All asari share a form of pantheism. When combined with our long life we tend believe that there is an independent strand of destiny. We have our own goals and agendas but the universe has its own. Sometimes we have to take a step back. You seem to have embraced that concept on several occasions. Anyway the concept of bringing yourself into balance is known as _iki_."

"Iki?" Shepard inquired, rolling the word in her mouth.

"To breath or in this application to hear a breath." Liara explained.

"Tevos wants us to meditate on this crisis?" Shepard asked, disbelief creeping into her tone.

"When nothing can be done it is best to wait and attune yourself so that when something can be done you do not miss it." Liara quoted.

"Wise words."

"My people have thought so." Liara replied, cuddling a bit closer.

"I don't suppose there is some sort of chant to go with _iki_?"

"Close your eyes and think of nothing. Try to let go of the minds that cloud your waking self. When you have done that you might hear the universe take a breath."

Shepard did as Liara had instructed. Letting go of Sira and the Reapers was surprisingly easy. Letting go of her worries was difficult. It ended up taking much of her concentration to empty her mind. As she slipped deeper into the meditation Shepard realized that she couldn't hear the universe breathing but somehow that didn't seem to matter anymore. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity of peace, Shepard realized that she was hearing someone breathing. It was a soft steady snore.

Cracking one of her eyes open she realized that Liara had drifted off, snuggled tightly against her. Feeling peaceful for the first time in a long time Shepard shifted herself into a more comfortable position, wrapping her arm around Liara.

"Goodnight my sweet umi." Shepard whispered, not wanting to disturb her lover.

...

The next several days passed quickly. The council's flunkies had rapidly acceded to Shepard's request for shore leave for her crew. The next day the charges against her were formally dismissed and her status as Geth envoy was formally recognized.

When finally given leave to address the council Shepard spoke of the need for toleration of other forms of life such as the Geth. Highlighting an example of an inherently peaceful race of synthetics did much to strengthen her case. She also carefully alluded to the upcoming peace treaty between the Geth and the quarians.

The council and the assembled diplomats listened but they didn't hear. Too many grand speeches had been in made in the Council chambers that it was difficult to distinguish the truth from the rhetoric. Shepard merely sighed indifferently when she realized.

The meetings in private with Andersen to determine the reparations for the return of the ship all went smoothly. The two would often deviate from the negotiation into the common territory of shared experiences. In the end the reparations were fair and together they had drafted a secret memorandum between the Geth and the Council. At least the Council was pragmatic enough to realize that a conflict was unnecessary. The memorandum recognized that the Geth were not to blame for the attack on the Citadel and proposed that the Geth be granted full rights as a civilized species.

While it wasn't a public victory Shepard was still pleased with it. While Legion and the other Geth were not capable of expressing pleasure, yet, they did not that the outcome had been an unforeseen and advantageous development.

During the days that Shepard had been on the Citadel her crew had taken in the pleasures of the Citadel. Having released her team from their diplomatic duties each one attempted to find their own measure of peace. Somewhere deep down they all realized that this might be their last chance.

Miranda had spoken to Oriana and both were on the road to some sort of recovery. While Oriana had been gifted and cursed with the Reaper technology she was still very much a young woman. The excitement of being on the Citadel for the first time had bled into the normally stoic Miranda's demeanour. The two had been inseparable as they sampled the various cultural offerings of the station.

Garrus had disappeared for a few days. When asked what he had been doing he replied that he had been settling an old debt. Strangely enough he had seemed more composed after what ever it was that he had done.

Mordin, on the other hand, had returned from one of his days of shore leave looking distraught. When asked his only response was that it was a sad end for such a promising pupil. The fact that he refused to say anymore spoke volumes in and of itself.

Strangely enough Tali and Minari had stayed close to the Geth. Shepard remarked to Liara in a quiet moment that it was interesting to see that the quarians were now more comfortable with the Geth than the other organics. Legion and Praetorian had gone exploring on the Citadel on several occasions. Shepard often wondered whether they attracted crowds simply by being Geth or by being Geth in the company of quarians. Whatever the reason the odd quartet always attract crowds of onlookers but, fortunately, people tended to stay at a safe distance.

...

As the negotiations drew to a close Shepard's plans also drew to their end. Like her comrades Shepard had felt that her sojourn on the Citadel would be one of her last opportunities to take a moment to be human before being swallowed up by destiny. The plan was elegantly simple: an evening out with Liara. What was to make it unique was the fact that for a single evening the two had agreed to forget who they were and to be 'normal'. Leaving behind the demands that others had place upon her and leaving behind the demands that she placed upon herself to focus on the moments of the evening was the Zen that she had aspired to. Liara had greeted Shepard's invitation to a mystery evening with a soft smile.

As the day drew to evening Shepard popped by Liara's room and dropped of her date's costume. Liara raised a questioning brow at what Shepard had given her but Shepard's only response was that the costume would make everything clear. With that she beat a hasty retreat back to her own quarters to prepare her own ensemble.

While Shepard generally wasn't the type of woman to enjoy wearing a dress – the military had bred that instinct out of her – in this case she was willing to make an exception. Fitting herself into her gown she took a moment to admire the crimson silk as it caught the light. Pinning her hair from its normal single braid into a more conservative bun had taken effort and had almost proven beyond her means. Taking the accompanying cloak she settled it on her shoulders before adjusting her bergére on her head. A last glance in the mirror revealed a woman that Shepard had never seen before. With a slight smirk she hastened, as much as her gown would allow, to collect her date.

With a soft knock at Liara's door she announced her presence. Liara appeared moments later dressed in an outfit similar to Shepard's but in a deep midnight blue. The confusion was evident on her face.

"I trust everything fit?" Shepard questioned.

"No problems in that respect." Liara responded distractedly, her mind was no doubt working furiously to divine where they were headed.

"We should be getting underway." Shepard concluded smugly offering Liara her arm which Liara took with a slightly miffed expression.

While the apartments were deserted they weren't deserted enough. The duo ran almost directly into Miranda who while dressed for an evening out did nothing to approach their formal attire. Upon seeing the two Miranda raised an eyebrow. Liara helplessly pointed at Shepard as being the one responsible.

"A costume party?" Miranda inquired teasingly, the hint of a smile creeping into her voice. "I didn't know you had that kind of romantic streak."

Shepard snorted and muttered something about a lack of respect for tradition for tightening her grip on Liara and heading for the exit.

Safely aboard a hovercab and out of the way of prying eyes Liara finally gave voice to her nagging curiousity.

"I know that this is meant to be a surprise but I have to ask, where are we going? What's more why are we dressed like this?" Liara interrogated.

"You don't like what I got you?" Shepard inquired with a mock pout.

"No, the silk is quite wonderful but." Liara trailed before coming to the abrupt realization that Shepard was toying with her. "You're trying to distract me."

"You know me too well." Shepard answered with a soft laugh. "The truth is that we're going to masquerade ball."

"A masquerade?" Liara asked in confusion.

"A social gathering from human history most commonly associated with fifteenth century Venice. At the event participants traditional wore a white mask which obscured their face that added an air of mystery to the proceedings. Dancing was common at these events."

"I won't know the steps of a traditional human dance." Liara worried.

"Relax Liara." Shepard consoled. "The event is being hosted by the human embassy for the diplomatic community of the citadel to promote the 'diversity of human culture'. The dances that we would be able to participate in are all slow and simple. I'm sure that information on the steps will be provided. Add to that the fact that you are without doubt the most graceful woman that I know and you should be fine."

Liara dug her elbow into Shepard's side at the compliment. "You, you have a honeyed tongue Emma."

The cab pulled up at their destination before Shepard had a chance to respond. As they stepped out it became evident that they were in good company. One of Councillor Velarn's aides was getting out of cab just behind them dressed in a cloak complete with a tricorne hat perched on his head. His date for the evening was one of Councillor Tevos' aides. The couple was quietly grumbling about the bizarre customs that humanity had picked for their gathering when they noticed Shepard and Liara. They stopped and stared for a moment before sauntering over to join them as they headed towards the entrance of the hall.

"Envoy Shepard a pleasure to see you here." The turian greeted sweeping his hat off in the turian equivalent of a bow.

"Colonel Severus, First Aide Sen'kawa it is a pleasure to see both of you again." Shepard greeted reciprocating the turian's bow with a slight dip. "Allow me to introduce Dr. Liara T'soni my companion for the evening."

"Enchanté." Sen'kawa greeted before addressing a question to Shepard. "We were attempting to set the question of why we wear masks to such an occasion to rest when we noticed you. Perhaps you would be able to answer it for us since you have a much better understanding of human culture."

"I can certainly try but the true answer has probably been lost to history." Shepard cautioned. "Wearing a mask hides your identity from the other partygoers and allows you request dances that you wouldn't normally feel comfortable in requesting. It also is meant to help you forget who you are in reality and to become someone else if only for a night."

"How quaint." Sen'kawa responded. "Still I suppose we all need to forget our responsibilities once and a while. Thank you for your explanation Shepard. Perhaps we will meet on the dance floor?"

The other couple passed through the entry way and handed their invitations to one of the waiting turian guards.

"I'm not sure that I like the idea of you being stolen away from me." Liara said, a note of jealousy creeping into her voice.

"If it's any consolation I won't like the idea of you being stolen away any better but it will make finding you again all the sweeter." Shepard consoled.

"Miranda was right, you do have a romantic streak." Liara chided as Shepard passed their invitations to one of the guards.

The hall was already bustling with activity. A rainbow of colourfully attired sentients were mingling throughout the chamber. The vaulted ceiling had evidently rigged with holoprojectors as it currently gave the illusion of a night sky from Earth. The dance floor was relative empty and the orchestra was playing a light, airy, bit of music. The event had yet to truly get underway and an air of expectation hung over the crowd. As gossip was most plentiful in the company of food and drink the couple headed for the buffet table.

Various delicacies from across the galaxy were pilled on the table. The table had been neatly partitioned into foods suitable for those of dextro DNA and the food suitable for everyone else. Shepard detached herself from Liara and headed to collect a pair of punch glasses. As she returned with her cargo of punch she found that someone had already accosted Liara.

"I don't remember having seen you here before and believe me I would remember if I had." Liara's suitor said.

Shepard had the sudden urge to slam her palm into her face, the only thing stopping her were the two glasses of punch she held.

"It's my first time here." Liara replied, glancing about anxiously for Shepard.

"Well perhaps I can show you around?" The suitor prodded, pressing his unwanted advances.

Shepard appeared behind the unfortunate human and wrapped her arm around him in what would appear to be a friendly gesture but was inherently threatening. The human stiffened at her approach.

"Is he bothering you dear?" Shepard asked in syrupy sweet voice.

"There you are Shepard." Liara sighed in relief. "No not too much.

Shepard turned to confront Liara's suitor with a serpentine smile. "And you are?"

"Just leaving!" The diplomat squeaked. Evidently he was unwilling to lock horns with the Geth envoy. He disappeared out of Shepard's embrace in an instant leaving the two alone once more. Shepard merely shrugged. Liara gave Shepard a look as she was handed her glass of punch.

"I neglected to mention that one of the by-products of social gatherings where humans and alcoholic beverages are brought into close proximity are unwanted advances." Shepard joked.

"And pick up lines in extremely bad taste." Liara returned as she sipped her punch.

As they had been talking a small group of chatting partygoers had drifted closer to them. The group hadn't noticed who they were standing next to.

"So did you see Shepard?" One of the party asked.

"She still looked human but then again Saren still looked turian." Another responded.

"Did you see those ships that she brought with her? One of them looked the same as _Sovereign_."

"I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near her!"

Shepard sighed loudly. She ignored the fact that the group had noticed her and more importantly that they had suddenly realized who she was. It seemed as though even here destiny conspired to spoil the moment. Liara took her arm once again and drew her away from the gawping crowd. As they reached a slightly quieter section of the hall the Council finally arrived. Shepard expressed no surprise at their arrival and the two did their best to stay out of sight.

After a speech given by Andersen about both the importance of history, culture and the proceedings in general the costumed groupings drew away from the dance floor to allow a troupe of professional dancers to take the centre stage and demonstrate several traditional numbers. As the dancers swept through steps of their dances with an easy grace Shepard allowed herself to get caught up in what the dancers were doing. The dancers gradually began to dissolve into swathes of colour before her eyes. The effect was so soothing that she gradually lost track of time.

The spell was broken as the music stopped and the dancers took their bows. Some one was announcing that it was time for the guests to don their masks.

"What happens now?" Liara asked as she produced her mask from the folds of her cloak.

"We join the dance. Part of the fun is finding each other again." Shepard explained. She hesitated at Liara's worried expression. "Don't worry. I promise I'll find you."

Liara returned her smile with one of her own before donning her own mask. Shepard did the same. The two drifted towards the dance floor just as the other masked guests were doing. Shepard was accosted by a masked turian in a jester's costume who invited her to dance. She half wondered if her partner would have invited her to dance if he had known who was under the mask. A glance over her shoulder reassured her that Liara had been paired off.

As the dancers took their positions on the floor the orchestra struck the first notes of the opening dance. With a bow the various couples took the first hesitant steps of the dance. Where Shepard had only been an observer now she was a mote of crimson caught up in the ocean of bright colours. Her partner was quite proficient at human dance and did an excellent job of taking them through the various steps. To her credit Shepard wasn't exactly a novice and her enhanced dexterity did an admirable job of helping her to keep her end up. At a designated pause the couples split apart reattaching themselves in new combinations. Shepard found herself paired with what seemed to be a member of her own species though with the costumes it was nearly impossible to tell. The music resumed and the new pairs continued the dance.

Several times throughout the dance the partners broke apart and each time Shepard was confronted with a different partner. As the number drew to its final division her latest partner gave her a slight wink causing Shepard to miss her next step. Fortunately the music had signalled the final division. Her partner disappeared into the mass of dancers in a flurry of black silk. As Shepard turned she found herself confronting a familiar mask and midnight blue dress. The touch was electric as one hand met the other. Just as Shepard had promised she had found Liara. As the music entered its denouement the two moved in perfect synchronization in spite of the fact that their eyes remained locked.

The dance ended and the partners slipped their masks off. The gesture was wholly unnecessary on the part of one couple. As the orchestra began its next piece the couple remained together moving through the slow steps of the next number. Liara's head rested peacefully on Shepard's shoulder as they revelled in each other's shared presence. For a brief moment their concerns were a thing of the past and the only thing that existed was their love. Words were no longer necessary.

So caught up in the dance neither of them noticed a harried looking official come running into the hall and desperately cast about for one of their superiors.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: Next chapter due at the end of March. I'll release the last three in a single burst.

Chapter XXXIV: Dark Horizons

Shepard's first inkling that something was wrong came when she realized that they were dancing despite the absence of music. The second came after they had stopped and realized that the assembled dancers were facing the front of the hall expectantly.

"Ladies and Gentleman," Andersen announced, "We have just been informed of a terrible tragedy on the human colony of New Canton. Apparently the colony has been abducted in an attack similar to other recent incursions. First response teams to the disaster have also noted that the remains of the invaders and one of their strike vessels were found on the planet. The identity of the invading force will be revealed in due time. In the meantime we request that all individuals present from the diplomatic and military services report to their assigned postings as soon as possible. When we are finally able to conclusively say who attacked the Colony there could be a great deal of confusion and anger. I ask everyone to do their best to keep their people calm and under control during this difficult time. Thank you and goodnight."

In a hushed tone Shepard had told Liara to start heading for the exit even as Andersen was still talking. Thanks to Sira she already knew what it was that Andersen was trying to sugar-coat. Someone on the team sent to New Canton had fouled up and revealed to the media that the bodies and wreckage they had found on New Canton were from the Turian Hierarchy's elite Shadow division. The whistleblower's motivation had become irrelevant the moment they had let the information slip. Already the news wires were aflame with allegations and denials. It was only a matter of time before public opinion on both sides would lead to an inevitable war between the turians and the humans and there was plenty of pre-existing tension to ensure that this particular outcome was a foregone conclusion.

As the two reached the exit they were accosted by a platoon of turian C-Sec guards attached to the Council.

"Envoy Shepard, Councillor Tevos wishes to see you immediately." The leader announced. "You will follow us."

Shepard hesitated for a moment she still had yet to completely trust C-Sec again. Liara put a calming hand on Shepard to reassure her. Shepard gave the lead turian a curt nod and followed him toward a waiting hovercar.

The ride was over quickly. They had been delivered to the Citadel Tower. As the group headed for the entrance they passed a waiting ambulance. As Shepard glanced back at it she was surprised to note that both of attendants seemed to be waiting for something rather than being in any sort of hurry to collect someone or head to their next destination. Her suspicion was discarded as they were hurried through the lobby and towards a waiting elevator.

As the elevator made its rapid ascent Shepard began to feel a sort of nameless worry creeping over her. Whether the worries were due to the recent crisis, the disruption of her attempt at finding peace or simply being called to see the Councillor at such sort notice Shepard couldn't say. After the inevitable end of the elevator ride the two were hustled into the Councillor's office and left without so much as a word. Liara's glance told Shepard that her worries were not confined simply to her. Liara felt that something was wrong as well. She had just opened her mouth to say something when the Councillor bustled in. Tevos was looking just as harried as Shepard suspected that both she and Liara looked. She was also surprisingly attired in clothing similar to one of Shepard's dance partners though not her second to last partner. The bizarre feeling that she had been dancing with the Councillor was quickly set aside.

"Envoy Shepard, Dr. T'soni as you can see we're in a bit of crisis but I came as soon as I could. You said you had important information about our matter of mutual interest." Tevos questioned, hurriedly.

Shepard's shock was written all over her face and she quickly gave voice to it. "You were the one who called me here. Your guards hustled me over here as fast as we could go."

"That's impossible. I never ordered them to collect you." Tevos shot back, irritation superseding surprise in her voice.

"I didn't send you any message." Shepard argued back the tension rising.

"If neither of you sent each other the message then perhaps someone else did." Liara interrupted. "Someone who wanted to insure that all of us were in a room together at a prearranged time."

Once again Liara had reached the goal before either of her companions. Realization dawned on Shepard's face and was mirrored on Tevos' face. The moment was interrupted by a musical metallic rattle. The three turned and watched as a small silver sphere rolled across the floor of Tevos' office towards them. Shepard knew what it was. The silver sphere was a shock grenade used by police forces throughout the Hierarchy. It was funny how one could remember the most irrelevant facts when staring an explosive device in the face she thought.

As Shepard dove for Liara she found herself remembering the blast radius and the mechanism of the grenade. In the middle of her dive she was blinded by the flash effect of the grenade. Moments later, as she collided with Liara she was deafened and disoriented by the high-pitched shriek of the second stage detonation. As she lay flopped over Liara, deafened and blinded she remembered that what made that particular grenade so effective was its third stage; a highly potent stun gas capable of taking down an enraged Krogan.

With a soft puff the grenade burst into a plume of bluish gas – not that there was anyone left in the room capable of perceiving it. With every breath the room's occupants took the motions became increasingly lethargic until they stopped altogether.

...

Shepard's first sensation was of her cheek being pressed in to the decidedly cold and unyielding surface of a deckplate. Her second sensation was a wave of nausea and disorientation. Foggy memories of being in Tevos' office and the explosion assailed her consciousness. Her second shock was that she couldn't sense any of her cybernetic systems which included the disembodied voices of her personal demon and angel otherwise known as Nemesis and Sira. While she was no stranger to captivity – her lifestyle seemed to in fact invite this sort of thing – this ranked high on her list of unpleasant experiences. It also occurred to her that her captors weren't taking any chances.

A quick survey revealed that both her hands and her feet were bound and that a slight discomfort around her throat indicated the presence of a collar. Testing her biotics was completely anti-climatic. Try as she might she couldn't even create a spark of dark energy. She could reasonably conclude that whatever was dampening her cybernetics also worked to damp her biotics.

After flopping rather ungracefully onto her back Shepard let out a sigh. From what she could see she was alone in a small metal room. A single light burned above her providing ample light. She eased her head back against the decking and ran through what she knew in an effort to pass time. Frustratingly it did nothing to help her anxiety. At that moment she heard a hatch open followed swiftly by a pair of expressionless turians looming over her. The two hauled her to feet and dragged out of the cell. They whisked her through a series of corridors on what Shepard guessed to be a ship. Judging by the turians in uniform and her guards' similar attire she concluded that she was on a turian ship. With those two simple facts she could guess the identity of her captors but their purpose in abducting her still remained illusive. Their eventual destination was what appeared to be the commander's quarters though they appeared larger than what Shepard would have guessed. Her minders cared little for her interest in her surroundings and plunked her gracelessly into a nearby chair.

Her new position offered her a view of the room's other occupant; a turian of middle years with a commanding bearing. The two guards deferred to his presence and departed at a wave of his hand. The officer turned to confront her with an unreadable expression.

"The prodigal daughter." He remarked pensively. "I was surprised when the artefact ordered me to recover you along with the asari."

"What artefact?" Shepard asked in confusion.

"That one of course." The officer answered gesturing to the object in question.

In her ignominious arrival Shepard had failed to notice what he had been referring to. In all fairness the fact that the quarters were poorly lit and the artefact was dark contributed to her ignoring it. As she watched the artefact seemed to respond to her presence by gradually illuminating itself. Under her gaze red characters began to dance across its surface. With the additional illumination she was able to perceive that the object was shaped rather like a double helix and stood at about two metres in height. Shepard also was able to detect the faint aura of Reaper technology though by this point she had surmised that she was in clutches of the cult that Tevos had been so adamant about her finding.

"Impressive isn't it?" The turian noted, breaking Shepard's train of thought.

"I suspect that it's an acquired taste." Shepard bit back. "You didn't go to the trouble to bring me here just to discuss mind altering artefacts."

"So full of fire." The turian laughed. "Unfortunately while your quirks may have seduced the fallen one and the king of the gods it didn't work on my master. No he demanded that your antics be bought into line and that you be brought before him."

"So you've been sent to stop me? Touched a nerve did I?" Shepard mocked. "Frankly I'm disappointed that all I merited was some lackey. A being without the courage to think for himself."

The helix like artefact rumbled in what seemed to be irritation. A new series of characters danced across its surface.

"My master is amused by your attempts at levity. Be assured that unlike your time with the fallen one my master will not be as merciful. You will meet with him soon enough."

"More semi-religious babble. Speak plainly!" Shepard replied with irritation.

The artefact rumbled with a low vibration. The turian nodded in agreement before turning towards Shepard again.

"My master is willing to let me answer some of your questions but only in the interests of insuring that you understand how hopeless your situation truly is." The turian consented.

"Where is Liara?"

The turian laughed again in cruel amusement. He paused as though savouring Shepard's reactions before eventually answering. "You know her mother had the right idea just as Saren did. The gods are undeniable. For the moment the grand design does not include her except as payment. She will be given to the Shadow Broker for services rendered. If he doesn't kill her outright he'll probably torture her for his own twisted pleasure before selling what remains onto the slave market." The turian paused as a realization took him. "That is if there still is a slave market by that point."

Shepard's features gradually contorted in rage. "You and your master," Shepard hissed the last word, "had better pray that your plan is fool proof."

"It is." The turian replied confidently. "The will of the gods cannot be denied."

"Is that what you plan to do with the Councillor as well?" Shepard asked attempting to recover her composure by changing the subject.

"No. She is going to receive the enlightenment that only my master can provide."

"Indoctrination." Shepard concluded.

"Such a repugnant word for such a marvellous gift." The turian retorted contemptuously.

"Spare me your proselytizing. You may have embraced the Reapers and their 'grand design' but I know what they are. They're just a collection of damned souls trying to cope with the demands of their creators by carrying out their orders in the most vile of ways."

The room trembled as the artefact vibrated. A loud screech of rage temporarily deafened Shepard and the turian. A series of characters danced across the artefact's surface in rapid succession.

"I take it your master wasn't pleased by that." Shepard spat as she recovered herself.

"This interview is over." The turian growled. "You are just as intransigent as when the masters first noticed you."

The turian hit a control on his desk and conferred quietly with someone on the other end. When he turned back to Shepard a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"We have arrived at our destination. We will be, unfortunately for you, abandoning you on this planet but you needn't worry our master's seraphim will be coming for you soon." The turian taunted sadistically.

Shepard's response was cut off as her two guards returned and hauled her to feet and back into the corridor. The journey was even quicker than her trip to see the officer. It ended at an escape pod. The two guards clinically removed her manacles, all except for the one around her throat, and ignored her attempts to free herself. In a short space of time she had been buckled and sealed into the escape pod. As she was launched a storm of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. While worry about her current situation should have been foremost in Shepard's mind her thoughts kept on drifting back to what the turian had said about Liara. How much time did she have before they would deliver her to the Shadow Broker - she found herself wondering. A deep sense of loss and panic was also continually growing in her psyche. The sudden reversal in situation from a peaceful evening to being dumped on an unknown planet did little to help her emotional state. Coupled with exhaustion and dehydration Shepard's mind was in shambles. She was lucky that she had managed to keep it together so long with the turian.

The pods thrusters cut out as it proceeded to rattle and shake through its descent through the planet's atmosphere. The retrorockets engaged with a deafening roar and the sudden deceleration plastered Shepard into her seat. With a sigh the retros cut out and the pod settled on to the surface of the planet with an earth-shattering crunch.

As Shepard attempted to collect herself from the traumatic landing she noticed that smoke was gradually beginning to seep into the cabin. She hurriedly detached her harness and located the emergency hatch release. A series of explosive bolts blasted the hatch off moments later. The smoke was getting worse and Shepard threw herself out of the pod and into the alien landscape. She quickly dragged herself away from the now burning escape pod, coughing all the while in an effort to expel the acrid smoke that had seeped into her lungs. As soon as she was a safe distance away from the pod she flopped against a tree and attempted to catch her breath. Her throat and lungs felt like they had been scrapped through a cheese grater but she was alive. She was also still wearing the wilted remnants of her evening wear. The slippers that she had chosen had been exceptional for dancing but she doubted that they would hold up long against the rough terrain that she now found herself in.

Surveying her surroundings she realized that it was actually quite dark. Strange birds exchanged calls in the night air and the trees of the copse where she had sought shelter loomed above her. Worst of all she had no idea where she was. It was entirely possible that she had been dumped on some frontier planet with no civilization whatsoever.

As she was catching her breath her eyes and ears gradually acclimatized to the new environment. With her gradually improving awareness she realized that she could actually hear something which sounded like a hushed conversation. For the life of her she couldn't make out the language but it still meant that there was civilization on the planet. A cynical part of her brain added that civilization also meant danger. There was a relatively good chance that whoever was holding the hushed conversation was a pirate or mercenary. She also realized that the conversation was getting closer. She knew that she wouldn't last long without food, water and a means of defending herself and like it or not her best chance of survival lay with whomever was coming to investigate the crash.

Shepard gradually edged nearer to the approaching footsteps. Her progress was slow and awkward but eventually she beheld a set of approaching lights. Debating how best to reveal herself she ceased watching where she was going. That was her first mistake. As Shepard tripped and went sailing into the undergrowth she realized that if the two unknown beings didn't know she was there before they certainly did now. Her second mistake was to stand up in the darkness and frantically hold up her hands. A beam of light swung towards her momentarily blinding her. Her third mistake wasn't her mistake at all. In truth she would have been far better off facing professional mercenaries instead she was facing a jittery pair of farmers hyped up on the stories of disappearing colonies. They were also armed, resentful of their assignment to investigate a shooting star, and terrified of being out in the dark alone. This was never a good combination. As a result one of the farmers decided to let his gun do the talking. The only saving grace was that his aim was not precise. The round from the farmer's weapon picked Shepard up bodily and hurled her back into the underbrush. Her world went blissfully dark as she crashed to the ground.

Several moments later Shepard blinked her eyes open to terrible pain. Her blood was singing in her ears and pouring out of the new wound in her stomach. The icy realization that her nanites were doing nothing to stem the bleeding crept over her in a heartbeat. Spots danced across her vision as she pressed a hand to the wound. She barely stifled a scream as she applied pressure. It hurt, a lot. As she lay there snippets of a conversation drifted over to her.

"What do you think it was?" Voice number one asked.

"Probably one of those damn malraas." Voice two grumbled.

"It didn't look like no malraas that I've ever seen before." Voice one opined.

"Well whaddya think it was? Santa Claus?" Voice two snorted.

"It sorta looked like a person." Voice one returned, sounding unsure.

"We know there isn't anyone out here. We're the only ones." Voice two was certain.

"I suppose you're right." Voice one conceded.

"Will you get a move on! I want to get home. I don't like being out here after dark especially not with everything that's been going on." Voice two prodded, nervously.

Shepard realized that the two who had shot her were planning on moving on and leaving her behind. With her knowledge of battlefield medicine she knew that she wouldn't last more than an hour with her wound. She attempt to call for help but all that came out was a strangled groan. The footsteps and the conversation were starting to move away. She tried again – same result.

The footsteps were beginning to diminish into the darkness. With a final titanic effort Shepard hauled herself to her feet ignoring the fact that it made her want to gnaw her own arms off in pain. She also ignored the blood that was seeping through her hand. She blindly crashed through the brush between her and the two people ignoring the fact that it might mean another bullet. One thought dominated her mind. She had to reach them. She was very cold now. As she crashed through the last bit of brush onto what seemed like a pathway she could see the two figures moving away. They hadn't noticed her entrance. Time seemed to slow down. Her blood pattered on the ground. The lights seemed to be dancing away from her.

"Help." Shepard managed to groan. It wasn't much more than a whisper but it was enough.

One of the lights turned back towards her.

"Please." It was all she could do to whimper it. With a final groan she collapsed to her knees. Her heartbeat was very loud in her ears. The lights were coming back now. As she watched she became confused when the ground came rushing up to meet her.

...

Shepard drifted between reality and the twisted corridors of her own mind. She couldn't tell which was worse. At one point she was being roughly dragged across the ground. Moments later she was reliving the Blitz in vivid detail. An explosion became someone shining a light in her eye. Worried voices at the edge of her consciousness became the whispers of the dead accusing her of not saving them.

Then came dreams. Some were horrible visions of the future, so vivid that she could practically feel the blood on her hands. Others were confused memories of happier times. Maybe they too were visions of the future.

Her last dream was so vivid. She was dancing, just like she had been before her abduction. Liara was there except they weren't wearing any masks. The music was slow and peaceful. Liara whispered something to her but she couldn't make anything out. As she tried to make out Liara was saying the tempo of the music picked up. Soon the two were swirling out of control. Her grip was slipping. The music had degenerated into a deafening howl. Her grip was giving away. Shepard panicked; she was about to lose her grip completely. Then with strangely perfect clarity she heard four simple words.

"Let me go Emma." It was a plea.

In the confusion of the moment she released her grip. Liara disappeared into the blackness.

...

Shepard shot bolt upright, awake perhaps but still wholly in the grip of the nightmare.

"Liara!" She howled. Her hand was still outstretched, reaching out to someone who was no longer there.

A set of hands was easing her back onto the bed.

"Christ Skipper you sure know how to wake up." A familiar voice soothed.

Shepard knew that voice. She had been proud to call its owner a friend what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Ashley?" Shepard question as her cloudy eyes attempted to focus on the blur that eased her down on to the bed.

"It's alright skipper. I'm here." Ashley soothed.

The image resolved. It was indeed her former squad mate. To say that Shepard was surprised to see her was an understatement.

"Am I dead?" Shepard whispered.

"Don't even joke about that Shepard." Ashley bit back. "You were half dead when those two idiots dragged you in here. The doctor didn't think you were going to make it. He was right. You died partway through the night. We just barely managed to pull you back."

"Oh." Was all that she could manage.

"You've lost a lot of blood. We were able to get that collar thing off you but from what the doctor said it shut down a portion of your brain. At least that was what he guessed. He also said that most of your brain was synthetic now." Ashley paused for a moment before pressing on. "Which begs the question: how are you still here and more importantly are you still Emma Shepard?"

"What do you think?" Shepard rasped back, half irritated.

"The brain says not to believe you. The heart says that with answers like that I shouldn't doubt you. If you really know me then you know which one I believe."

Shepard managed a dry laugh before her face contorted into a grimace. "The heart."

Ashley let out a slight sigh of relief. "So skipper do you need anything?"

"Water." Shepard requested.

Ashley handed her a cup with some ice. At Shepard's raised eyebrow she shrugged helplessly.

"The shot tore up some of your intestine. They had too operate. You seem to be recovering but the docs said no water or food for a little while yet." Ash apologized.

"How long?" Shepard questioned as she shifted a piece of ice into her cheek.

"You've been out for about three days." Ashley informed her.

"Goddess." Shepard breathed softly. Her free hand slowly tightened on the bed sheet. Liara could be anywhere. She could be dead. Tendrils of panic threatened to seize her.

"Easy skipper. Just take it easy. You're safe." Ash attempted.

"You don't understand." Shepard murmured cursing her inability to sustain a proper conversation. "Something dark is coming."

"What do you mean something dark?" Ashley questioned urgently.

Shepard's desperately tried to communicate what she knew but all that came out was a sigh. The sedatives and painkillers were simply too strong and oblivion was too seductive a mistress. She succumbed once more her head rolling to the side leaving Ash's question unanswered.

...

The next time Shepard opened her eyes it was dark and she seemed to be alone. As her eyes and ears adjusted to consciousness she was able to discern a slight light emanating from outside her room. She attempted to remember the noise that had woken her. Then she heard it: an urgent chatter seemed to be taking place somewhere outside. The words were too far away to make out but they seemed on the verge of panic. Shepard wondered why they would be panicking in the middle of the night before memory reminded her why. Her mind desperately denied what was happening. The rattle and flash of assault rifle fire quickly put paid to her flimsy denials. The screams and hurried footfalls which followed only served to accentuate her panic. She was in the middle of an attack, unarmed and doped to the gills. She didn't even know if she could walk.

The screams began to die off. It was strangely peaceful now. There seemed to be nothing to do but lie and wait. Time seemed to drag on without measure. It felt like five hours but was closer to five minutes. Shepard began to sweat. Talking deep breathes she decided that like it or not she would have to do something even if it meant opening old wounds.

As she was attempting to steel herself to get out of bed the light in the hallway went dark. Something was obscuring it. A figure danced in front of her open door. Another one joined it. Something was looking in at her. It and its companion gradually edged into her room. They were large insect like bipods but Shepard already knew what they were – Collectors. The two considered her huddled form apparently holding a silent debate. They concluded their debate moments later as one backed off. The other had apparently been chosen as the unlucky volunteer.

A sickly yellowish orange glow began to creep through the insect's body. It grew in brightness until Shepard was forced to shield her eyes. When she looked again the Collector had changed, it now looked as though it was on fire and its four eyes glowed with the same orange light. It quirked its head to the side to consider her. Shepard's hand slammed on to the night tray beside her bed in a desperate attempt to find something – anything to defend herself with from the abomination that was now edging towards her. The possessed collector reached her side in seconds and lifted its hand until it was outstretched and moving towards her. Shepard's hand knocked over the various items scattered on the tray. The collector's hand made contact with her face. It was unpleasantly hot. It moved to tease away a strand of loose hair. Her hand found something long and sharp on the tray. It was her hairpin.

"Shepard." The collector rumbled as it leaned in closer.

With a clumsy motion Shepard seized the hairpin and drove it into the creature's neck. To her surprise the seemingly tiny item penetrated the creature's chitinous armour and entered the creature beneath. With a loud bellow the collector reared back. Then it detonated in a blast of light and flame. As Shepard tried to huddle away the blast impacted the side of her face scorching her skin and burning her hair. The blanket absorbed most of the rest of the blast. Shepard let out her own howl of rage and pain as the last ashes of the Collector rained down on her and the floor. Among the ashes the being's assault rifle landed painfully on her legs. Its companion had noticed the spectacular demise of its fellow and was turning its weapon towards Shepard. Ignoring the pain of her burns she snatched the fallen weapon and aimed it in the general vicinity of its companion before depressing the trigger.

When the smoke and debris cleared there was only one very dead collector and one very angry woman left in the room. Shepard's entire body was screaming in pain as she yanked out her IVs and hauled herself out of the bed. As she hit the floor she almost collapsed. The assault rifle tumbled from her hands. She managed to steady herself. Ignoring the fallen rifle she hobbled out of the room. Other collectors would be coming soon and she didn't have much time. The infirmary was small and it didn't take her long to find where the doctor had stored his various drugs. Hastily palming on a light she rifled through the cabinet until she found what she had been looking for. Grabbing two ampoules from the cabinet she located an injector. Without hesitating she loaded and injected both into her arm. Sighing she waited for the drugs to take hold.

Nitrazine was a stimulant which had been originally developed by the Alliance military. The idea behind it was to take critically injured soldiers and get them back on their feet long enough to mount a heroic last defence. In most cases the stimulant was so powerful that it could take a perfectly healthy person and turn them into a wreck for several days afterwards. That was, of course, after the drug had run its course. It had gained favour in medical circles as a miracle drug which would take patients at death's door and cause them to hold on just long enough for doctors and medics to patch them up. Heavily medicate most would make it through the after effects. In the military it had been known to soldiers as Devil's Venom either because it had the same effect as the rocket fuel of the same name or because it was the equivalent of selling your soul to Satan. At that moment Emma Shepard decided that Satan was the least of her worries.

With a dose of Nitrazine and another dose of wide spectrum painkillers Shepard felt rejuvenated. Gone were her aches, pains, and worries. She knew that the feelings of wellbeing were transitory but she also knew enough to make the most of it. Before leaving she stuffed her pockets with whatever medigel injectors came to hand. She jogged back to her room to see what supplies she could gather before breaking out into the colony proper. Without a second thought she scooped up the dead collector's assault rifle. While the rifle appeared simple enough it seemed to work on the principle of a permanent heat sink. It would mean that she would have to be very careful not to overheat the weapon with prolonged fire otherwise she would stuck waiting for it cool down. Her search of the fallen collector yielded little else. Cursing her bad luck at not finding a barrier module she returned to her beside. Sitting on the ground the hairpin glinted in the faint light. Shepard hastily pocketed it before heading back into the infirmary.

As she edged towards the main entrance she could hear the chittering sounds of approaching collectors. Without a barrier module or her biotics engaging them a head to head fight was suicide. She quickly dodged into an empty examining room and closed the door behind her. Leaning against the door she caught her breath and waited. The main entrance of the infirmary hissed open. Footsteps followed moments later. There seemed to be several sets. Shepard waited as they passed by her and headed down toward the end of the corridor. With a hint of hesitation she cautiously opened the door and peaked out. The collectors seemed to have congregated at the end of the hall. With a silent step she edged through the door and down the hall all the while keeping her weapon trained on the other end of the hall. Turning her back for a moment she addressed her attention to the door. As she triggered the hatch she realized what a mistake it had been. What she imagined to be a shout of discovery came from one of the collectors as it noticed her. It was quickly followed by a barrage of assault rifle fire. Fortunately Shepard was already through the door and out into the colony.

As she ran down a darkened walkway Shepard desperately tried to figure out what to do next. Somehow she would have to drive the Collectors off but with her meagre supplies such an effort would be doomed to failure. Not watching where she was going she stumbled into an open area of the colony. It seemed to be empty for the moment. More importantly it gave Shepard an excellent view of two things. The first thing she saw was the collector ship jutting from the centre of the colony like some sort of malignant growth. The second thing that she saw was the looming shape of a GARDIAN laser battery. The pieces fell into place quickly after that. Shepard knew that if she could get the laser batteries online she stood a chance of driving the collector ship off and even destroying it.

Her plans were interrupted by the familiar sound of approaching footsteps and the dreadful groans of husks. She had to move again.

She took off at a jog down the nearest path away from the noise of approaching husks. Her blind attempts at evasion had proven successful so far but when it came locating a central control building for a battery of laser cannons they didn't do much to aid her. As she rounded a corner she collided with a solid object. As the two tumbled to the ground in a messy heap Shepard realized that she had just run into one of the colonists. The colonist was frozen in place just as she had been when she had run afoul of the seekers on Freedom's progress. Shepard rolled off the colonist careful to avoid looking at the expression of terror that plastered the man's face and his still moving eyes. As she was climbing back to her feet a trio of collectors came buzzing over the rooftops and settled to the ground before her. Shepard dove for a nearby stack of crates as the collectors opened fire with their weapons. She returned fire as best as she could and was rewarded by one of the trio collapsing to the ground. The other two kept up a steady suppression fire. Shepard realized that all they had to do was delay her long enough for their companions to arrive and overwhelm her with their superior numbers. Glancing about she noticed that there was hatchway to one of the prefab houses of the colony about 10 metres from her position. If she was lucky she might be able to reach it. She popped up and peppered one of the two collectors with more weapons fire which had little effect. As the two returned fire on her position she made a break for the door. She was about five metres from her target when a shot grazed her leg causing her to stumble forward. She managed to recover herself long enough to stumble into the house. She quickly smashed the door lock with the butt of her rifle before surveying the house for another exit. With the cocktail of stimulants and painkillers she barely even felt her latest wound but she took a brief moment to apply some of her medigel to the wound.

There was an exit on the upper level of the building. Glancing out of the door she found another empty square. Bracing herself she sprinted across the open space to the other end. As Shepard gradually caught her breath having reached the opposite side she tried to figure out where she should go next. The buzz of approaching wings hastened her decision and Shepard took to her heels again. As she ran she reflected that the situation alternated between terrifying and irritating. As she reached the end of the path between the two blocky prefab modules she slowed. Ahead of her lay a squat building which she guessed to be a command centre or power generator. Unfortunately a gang of husks and collectors appeared to arrived a similar deduction. Seated at the centre of the group was what appeared to be the husk equivalent of a Geth armature. There simply was no way for her to get to her new destination. She groaned, the shear frustration of having come so far only to be stopped was almost too much to bear. One of the collectors noticed her skulking in the alley and raised the call for its brethren to follow her. The chase was on once more as Shepard darted back the way she had come.

The collectors were ruthlessly efficient in their work as another group leapfrogged in front of her. A quick detour into another modular building was her only way out. This new building was different than the others as it seemed to house the colony's network and communications uplinks. As Shepard scouted for another exit an idea struck her. There were likely to be utility tunnels linking buildings like the server building to the generator and maybe other important buildings. If she was very lucky she could probably use the access tunnels to bypass the bulk of the collectors. Locating the hatch to the tunnels just as the collectors began to cut through the door Shepard took one look at the yawning black pit below her before climbing down.

Shepard paused at the base of the ladder and quickly closed the access hatch. She was plunged into to complete and utter darkness. Normally the dark would have proved to be little impediment to her augmented vision but in her current state the pitch blackness made staying and fighting it out with the collectors look better by the minute. As her eyes began to acclimatize to the darkness Shepard noticed that there was a small glowing panel on the wall next to her. As she opened it she found both a flashlight and a breath mask. It figured that an emergency oxygen supply would be present in a restricted space like the access tunnels. She took both. Shining the light around Shepard realized that the tunnels were another level down and they were also full of fluid. She groaned. The breath mask was making more and more sense. She would likely have to swim underwater through the murky liquid. As she descended into the narrow water filled access tunnel she cursed the miniscule budget and sloppy workmanship of the colony.

She made slow progress swimming through the narrow tunnels. While she was supposedly a member of a Navy she and many other 'sailors' didn't really have much experience swimming. Her form was awkward and unpracticed and she counted herself as being lucky to have Liara's memories of swimming. As she neared what she imagined to be the next junction, which wasn't all that far away from the first, she felt a slight tug on her leg. Repositioning herself underwater to see what had caught her she expected to see one of her scrubs caught on some piece of metal. The reality was horrifying as her light caught the maliciously grinning visage of a husk slowly climbing up her leg. Her assault rifle had been attached to her back with a makeshift strap and was completely useless. Her punches and struggles were completely ineffectual as the abominable creature continued to climb up her body. As she struggled she reached for her only other weapon; the hairpin. Pulling it out she drove it into the husk's form again and again with blind strokes hoping to hit something vital. She did. With its dying struggles the husk knocked her mask clean off her face and into the murk. Shepard was now locked in a battle against time. She shrugged off the now inert corpse and made desperate strokes towards the next junction. Already her lungs were burning. She reached the junction just as she felt about to faint. Exhaustedly she dragged herself up the ladder and out of the water and collapsed on the metal flooring. She sucked in great lungfuls of air as she lay there uncaring of what was around her and glad simply to have survived.

Eventually she hauled herself to her feet and ascended the final ladder into what appeared to be a garage of sorts. Shepard could barely contain her disappointment. She had gone all this way only to find a garage. It made her efforts seem pointless and futile. She sat down on a collection of tires and took a deep breath while she tried to plan her next move.

"You on the tires don't move!" A voice shouted from the depths of the garage.

That would be the crowning irony, Shepard thought ruefully, to have come all this way to be shot by another human. She cautiously raised her hands to show that she had no weapons. Footsteps accompanied her gesture.

"You're human?" The voice asked.

"Guilty as charged." Shepard replied.

"You can put your arms down." The man said as he ambled into her field of view a pistol pointed in her vague direction. "I know you! You're that woman from the infirmary. How did you survive?"

"Lucky I guess." Shepard sighed.

The man laughed bitterly. "Luck! I didn't think we had any left."

"Can you tell me how to get those GARDIAN batteries up and running?" Shepard asked.

"They work fine but won't hit the broad side of barn." The mechanic informed her. "The alignment controls are just outside."

"No way to remotely activate them?" Shepard asked, at the mechanic's shake of his head she concluded ruefully, "It figures."

She pulled herself back to her feet causing the mechanic to jump. The nitrazine was gradually beginning to wear off. Shepard guessed that she had less than an hour before it wore off entirely. After that she would have to hope that she was rescued or that the Collectors were actually interested in taking her alive. Ignoring the mechanic she unslung her stolen rifle and headed for the door.

"I'm assuming this is the way to the battery controls?"

"You aren't going out there!" The mechanic shouted. "I won't let you."

Shepard turned to face him. "If I want to go out there then there isn't anything you can do to stop me."

Her comments cowed the mechanic into silence. She hit the door controls and headed into the dark field. The door closed swiftly behind her leaving her alone once more. She cautiously made her way to a collection of antennas and computers in the centre of the field which she guessed to be the weapon's control system.

After running a quick systems diagnostic she had charged the GARDIAN batteries throughout the colony. She was in the middle of concluding a firing solution on the collector ship when she heard the crunch of dried plant matter behind her. Standing there was single glowing collector. It seemed to be considering her. As she reached for the rifle that she had set to the side during her repair efforts the collector pointed its own weapon at her meaningfully. She raise her hands mock apologetically.

"Shepard. You are quite a fighter." The collector rumbled. "Using that shard of metal to kill my last avatar was an inspired move. You truly are a superior specimen."

"And you are?" Shepard growled.

"We are Harbinger." The collector replied in a deep booming voice. "Your efforts to escape end here. Your destiny is inevitable."

"Just what is my destiny?" Shepard laughed derisively. "I know! I have the opportunity to become mushy organic paste used to fuel the development of a new Reaper. Thanks but I'll pass."

"Then you will die." Harbinger retorted coldly.

Taking that as her cue Shepard dove for her rifle. The possessed collector let out a burst of rifle fire all of which miraculously missed her. Shepard's return volley was much more effective with a solid number of hits. The collector stumbled and she finished it off with another quick volley. As the collector exploded into flame Shepard's burnt face tingled sympathetically. She quickly returned to the console and attempted to conclude her work on the firing solution. The buzzing of approaching wings let her know that her time was running out. The sound of something larger also began to grow louder. She had just finished the solution and was about to activate the weapons when the massive husk composite loomed out of the murky night sky. Shepard turned to confront the creature just in time to see glow with contained energy. Sensing that something bad was about to happen Shepard dove out of the way. The creature discharged a blast of energy directly into the console where Shepard had just been standing. The console exploded in a brilliant plume of red flame.

To Shepard it was the final straw. She had played her hand as best as she could and lost. There was nothing left for her to do but to fight and take as many of the Collectors down with her as possible. She hunkered down behind a cluster of crates and squeezed off the odd burst of rifle fire as the Collectors and their husk gradually advanced on her position.

As the Collectors drew nearer their aim improved and she was first grazed and subsequently hit in the arm. Her rifle dropped from her wounded hand as she clutched it to her body. She stared at the Collector ship cursing its presence, the Reapers and her terrible luck all at the same time. As she watched plumes of flame sprouted from the vessel's hull. Alarms blared as the vessel's engines ignited. It was under attack but by what? As Shepard continued to watch a dark shape peppered with lights roared over the colony. The collectors attacking her and the massive husk did a quick about face and headed for their departing ship.

Several minutes later the collector ship dwindled into the night sky. Her unlikely saviour had settled over the colony. Its shape seemed very familiar to Shepard's tired mind. It took all of her effort seal her wound. The nitrazine had nearly worn off. She let out a ragged sigh. It was over, for now.

A/N: For those of you attempting to visualize the Turian's artefact think of the Red Marker from Dead Space. It seemed like a logical choice for an evil artefact given that its properties are similar. On the subject of the nitrazine, the word is actually a concatenation of nitric acid and hydrazine the two main ingredients of the real life rocket fuel known as Devil's Venom.

The final note is a minor spoiler so if you don't want anything spoiled don't read it.

The final dream that Shepard has is in the middle of the chapter is deeply prophetic. I meant it to occur when she was acutally dead but that may not come across properly. There will come a time in the next book where Shepard will need to let Liara go as an act of mercy both for herself and for Liara. How exactly will remain a secret for now.


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: This chapter come with good and bad news. The bad news is that my ambition has far outstripped my capabilities. Due to an inundation of problems and issues from the dreaded Real Life I will not be able to wrap the story up by the end of March. The new ETA is early to mid April(most likely mid). This particular chapter was also a particular devil to write but in the end I felt happy with the outcome. The plot contains some mild profanity and some darkness but nothing too drastic. In this chapter Shepard pursues her lost love in an effort to find her or some closure. By the end of her journey she quite literally loses herself. Making an appearance within this chapter are Tela Vasir, Senni, Archon and of course the Shadow Broker. That said read, enjoy, and please leave a **review**.

Chapter XXXV: The Shadows That Cloud Our Path

The after effects of Shepard's dose of stimulants were unpleasant to say the least. As she sat there her reality began to disintegrate into fractured visions of the past and present. It was immensely difficult for her to keep them all straight. Movement was completely out of the question. At one point Ashley appeared though Shepard had a hard time distinguishing whether or not it was a vision or reality. She was saying something and shaking Shepard bodily but Shepard could barely hear anything. Minutes or hours later Shepard heard two people arguing. Eventually someone took pity on her and pumped her full of more sedatives and painkillers. The blackness was a blessing.

...

While total oblivion seemed to initially be a blessing as her mind recovered she eventually felt as though she was drowning in it. With a gasp she shot bolt upright in her bed. The world around her was that of her quarters back on the _Voice of Memory_. Sira's presence was back in Shepard's mind reassuring her of the reality of her current surroundings. Shepard was tempted to dismiss everything that had happened to her as bad dream. The memories were almost too painful for her to bear. The fear that she had felt on Horizon had been superseded by a deep gnawing sense of loss. Liara had been Shepard's one solid support throughout her new life. The prospect that she was now dead was simply unbearable. Part of Shepard wished that she had actually died on Horizon at the hands of the Collectors rather than be left to face that prospect. As the thoughts assailed her sobs of grief began to wrack her body. She was glad that she was alone with her grief and away from the prying eyes of her crew.

Contrary to outward appearances Shepard was deeply cynical and deeply pessimistic. She was also fiercely loyal to her crew and when she did fall in love she fell hard and deeply. In the end she was still human and the loss almost broke her. It was only her inherent stubbornness that eventually saved her. She clung desperately to the prospect that Liara might still be alive and that desperation and stubbornness meant that she was prepared to do what ever it took to find her again. From that moment on nothing else seemed to matter.

Her emotions exhausted Shepard composed herself as best she could and hauled herself out of her bed. She dressed and headed for the bridge. Her wounds had mostly healed over her week long convalescence but the impact of the burns had left parts of her cybernetic endoskeleton exposed. For some reason the wounds had yet to heal. It was as though they were a reflection of the wounds to Shepard's soul.

When she reached the bridge she was surprised to find it deserted save for the avatars of Sira and Nemesis.

"Emma." Sira greeted hesitantly.

"Thank you Sira." Shepard replied with a genuine gratitude. "Thank you for saving me."

"I cannot take complete credit. Nemesis helped me." Sira explained.

"Then thank you Nemesis."

"We were not about to allow you to die Shepard." Nemesis retorted. "You do know what this means don't you?"

"What?" Shepard asked tiredly.

"We are approaching the moment of truth. Soon you will have to journey into dark space and bring an end to the rest of my kind. Now that they have identified you as a threat you will never know peace in this galaxy until you are dead or they are."

Shepard shook her head, her ire rising. "One thing comes before all that. I have to find Liara, dead or alive." She stated fiercely.

"Liara is a weakness. For her abduction to have this kind of effect on you means that the Reapers have truly found the right form of leverage." Nemesis reasoned. "It is better that you abandon her now. For you to succeed in your mission you must leave all distractions behind you."

"I can't do that." Shepard replied softly. "I can't just let her go."

"You must Emma." Nemesis cautioned urgently. "The end that she meets now is a thousand times more merciful than the one she will meet should you save her."

"You know something don't you?" Shepard realized her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"We can aid you in finding her and the asari Councillor or at least the ship that they were on. It was how we found you." Nemesis confessed.

"Then we can find her again!" Shepard sighed, the relief audible in her voice.

"Shepard we entreat you to abandon this foolhardy quest. Rescuing Liara will only doom her." Nemesis almost begged. "What the Reapers will do to her if they know that she is important to you will break you beyond repair and in doing so allow them to win."

"_I_ am breaking now." Shepard spat back. "I will hear no more of this madness. You will help me!"

"You'll come to wish that I never had." Nemesis replied with a hint of regret before disappearing.

As Shepard glanced about her she realized that there should have been at least some of her crew on the bridge. Sira took pity on her and explained.

"I had to leave the crew behind." Sira reported.

"You abandoned them?" Shepard asked, knowing full well that for the ship to be deserted meant that Sira had gone out of her way to lure the organics away. "Why?"

"That was the cost of getting you back Emma." Sira replied sadly. "Nemesis came to me at the beginning of your abduction with a way to find you. The catch was that only its two chosen organics could accompany you on this journey. Everyone else was a liability or so it said."

"I can guess who it let you take." Shepard said with a sigh. "We see now but through a glass darkly."

"You aren't angry with what I have done?" Sira asked in disbelief.

"How can I fault you for doing exactly what I would have done in your place?" Shepard asked. "Now I'm forced down the same path as you. I have to accept its help without knowing the cost down the road."

"It seems the future becomes darker by the minute." Sira remarked morosely.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Morinth and Oriana, Nemesis' unlikely followers. Morinth was her usual poised self, totally above the current crisis. Oriana on the other hand appeared nervous and out of her depth. The two were also glaring at each other as they entered. Their arrival had apparently interrupted some sort of argument. Morinth turned her gaze to Shepard expectantly and ignored Oriana who did much the same thing.

"I suspect that you two are responsible for my extraction from Horizon." Shepard stated. "I would like to get a full rundown exactly what happened before we leave this system."

"I will leave that to Oriana since she seems to have all the right answers and instead see to our preparations for departure." Morinth answered frostily, shooting Oriana a predatory look. As Morinth stalked off to the navigation station Shepard turned an expectant gaze on Oriana.

"I don't trust her." Oriana exclaimed in irritation. "I don't like the way she does things or that casual attitude she has towards life."

"The first time I met her she nearly killed me." Shepard replied conversationally. "Even though Nemesis may have changed her I still think some of those attitudes towards life and death persist."  
"And where do I fit into this mess?" Oriana asked plaintively. "I thought we had things under control and then suddenly I have this compulsion to return to the ship that I can't really explain."

"Nemesis made you come on this expedition?" Shepard asked, her suspicions rising once more.

"No." Oriana confessed. "Once I knew what was at stake I came on the mission of my own free will. It explained what had happened and why it was necessary that the others be left behind. I didn't like it but it did make sense."

"And why was that?"

"Nemesis is worried that if you can be abducted off of the Citadel, from the Citadel tower no less, then everyone could be a potential saboteur. The only way to be sure that our mission wouldn't be compromised by a sleeper agent was to leave them behind. Strangely enough I think Nemesis actually cares what happens to you."

"I get that sense too but only so long as I follow its agenda." Shepard agreed.

"It isn't that. I think it actually respects you. It's just a feeling but I can't shake it." Oriana clarified before continuing with her report. "Anyway we were able to escape the Citadel despite the fact that everyone was up in arms trying to stop us. Miri will be absolutely beside herself."

"She'll probably hold me responsible." Shepard laughed. "Again."

"Probably." Oriana replied with a smirk savouring the brief moment of levity. "As I was saying we left for Horizon. By the time we got here the Collectors were already planetside. Nemesis was furious when it saw them. I thought it was going to rip the Collector ship apart by itself but it stopped as soon as they left the atmosphere. Then Morinth told me that it was time and we left for the planet. When we arrived there were several colonists milling around. They seemed dazed but even more strangely they blamed us for what had happened. Morinth just ignored them. She said they were unimportant. It didn't end up taking us very long to find you but getting you of the planet was another story."

"I remember Ashley being there." Shepard recalled as she sifted through her memories of the incident.

"So that was her name. She was pretty incensed when we got there and told us if we came any closer she would shoot us. She claimed that we were Reaper agents which I suppose we are. Morinth was all for just killing her and getting you out of there. I made sure to remind Morinth that you wouldn't have approved of that and that our mission was to rescue you, not kill random people. She just stared at me and then asked if I had a better plan. I tried to talk Ashley down. I told her that we were your shipmates and that we were here to evacuate you. She didn't believe me but at least she didn't shoot me. While we were talking Morinth suddenly shows up behind Ashley and puts her out." Oriana shuddered at the memory. "She was so graceful. One minute she was behind me the next she was behind Ashley. Just a quick touch and Ashley collapses. It was shocking. We just left her there and grabbed you. You were pretty out of it. You had this glassy look in your eyes when we found you. I thought you were already dead to tell the truth. Anyway we got you back here and headed for deep space. We've been here ever since."

"Well for what its worth I'm glad that you were there to reign in Morinth's destructive tendencies."

Oriana gave her a weak smile in response which only reinforced Shepard's feeling that Oriana was having a hard time coping with her new life. Despite this Shepard had the feeling that, like her sister, Oriana would be able to overcome her worries and actually thrive in it. Shepard gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and a warm smile before turning her attention to Morinth.

"We are in formation with Nemesis." Morinth reported without looking at Shepard or Oriana. "You should know that this journey will be long and dangerous."

...

Morinth hadn't lied to them for once. The journey took them the better part of another week. With every day Shepard's hopes dimmed a bit more. On the second day they had crossed into Turian space without bothering to inform anyone of their entrance. The days since had consisted of following a seemingly random trail interspersed with terrifying and frustrating run-ins with Turian patrols. The week was beginning to take its toll on Shepard as well. Still tired from the Horizon incident the long hours of duty that had been required of her had exhausted her even more. She spoke less and less to now tiny crew and spent more and more time alone staring out into the night.

The break finally came when Shepard had chosen to snatch a few minutes of rest and was consequently away from the bridge. The two dreadnaughts had dropped from FTL into a remote system in Turian space. The region of space's only attractive features was a deep blue hued nebula and a single reddish star. A series of planets circled the star but they were of little interest to the two ships. What did interest them was the burning wreck of a Turian cruiser caught in a decaying orbit around one of the planets. As the vessels approached, their prey showed little sign of life.

Shepard's first image of the cruiser was what she saw as she stumbled from the elevator onto the bridge. She was barely awake but what she saw chilled her bones. The jagged rents in the vessel's hull showed that it had been in combat recently while the burning engine assemblies indicated that there was a good chance that it might explode from a reactor breach at any moment. There seemed little doubt that there were no survivors and with odds like that most captains would be unwilling to risk their ships on a fool's errand like attempting a rescue. Shepard on the other hand was risking everything on what Nemesis had already termed a fool's errand. One more risk was just par for the course. As soon as she had overcome her initial shock Shepard was barking out orders to bring the ship into dock with the damaged vessel. One way or another she would have an answer to the question that had occupied her mind for the past week.

With the docking complete Morinth and Oriana joined Shepard at the airlock. Her two companions looked worried about what they were about to face and rightly so given the dangers. They had registered an oxygen environment on the other side but all three were wearing fully sealed suits against a possible hull-breach.

The moment they entered the Turian ship they were assaulted by a wall of smoke and flame. Shepard's experience as a spacer had led her to expect just such a conflagration and she reacted instinctively by hurling a salvo of fire suppressant grenades at the wall of flame. The grenades did their work well in smothering the blaze with a quantity of fire suppressing foam. The obstacle cleared the team picked their way into the charred remains of the ship's bridge. Everyone was silent as they took in the devastation. Most of the consoles were charred beyond use but Morinth was able to locate a single semi-intact interface and call up a status report. It appeared that most of the ship had been opened to the vacuum and that the ship's engine core was gradually building to detonation. They would be lucky if the core lasted another ten minutes. Shepard wordlessly gestured for the team to fan out to see what they could find. For her part she headed aft.

As she reached what remained of the crew quarters she noticed the tell tale impacts of small arms fire. The ship had been boarded she realized. The realization led her to the dual questions of who and why but the more pressing concern of completing her sweep overrode her worries. Hauling aside the wrecked remains of a pressure door she crawled into the captain's quarters. The room looked nothing like the last time she had been there. The artefact had been shattered by what appeared to be a shaped charge. The rest of the room had been burnt to a crisp.

As she turned to leave she found herself confronting what was likely the ship's only survivor: the turian officer. He was holding a pistol pointed in her general direction but didn't look capable of actually hitting her. His face was covered in blood and bruises giving him a demonic appearance while his face was torn between a snarl of anger and a rictus of agony.

"Shepard." He gurgled. "We knew you would be here. The gods said I had one last duty to perform before I could go to their side. I see their power now."

"Where was that power when you were attacked?" Shepard snarled.

"Unbelievers always doubt." The turian coughed. "Our plans may not have worked this time but you can be made to serve them whether you want to or not."

"I tire of your ranting. Tell me where Liara is and I'll send you back to your gods." Shepard growled her hand edging towards her own pistol.

"You will not have to listen much longer." The turian replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "The one who has your lover and the councillor is the Shadow Broker. He betrayed us. You will be our instrument of vengeance whether you like it or not."

Before Shepard could make a move the turian pressed his pistol to his skull and depressed the trigger. Shepard could only stare open mouthed at the entire event. In truth she had planned to kill the Reaper agent herself but the suddenness with which he ended his own life took her aback. The zealotry with which the indoctrinated followed their masters' orders had shocked her once again.

Oriana appeared moments later her helmet obscuring her expression. It took a moment for Shepard to realize that she was talking to her.

"We need to go! Now!" Oriana was yelling. "The ship is about to blow!"

The two made a hasty exit and crawled through the wreck back to the airlock. Morinth was there waiting for them. It didn't take long for them get back aboard the _Voice of Memory_ and away from the turian ship. The trio had just reunited on the bridge just as the cruiser's reactor went critical consuming the ship in a miniature nova. As the fire began to dissipate Shepard felt her hopes die with it. Her last lead concerning Liara's location had gone up in smoking, literally. Now she was left attempting to find the most illusive information broker in the galaxy.

"So does anyone have any idea what we do now?" Shepard asked, her voice unstable.

"I have been exploring alternatives with Nemesis in case this plan fails." Sira interjected. "Since the Shadow Broker has always been a potential target we have been able to target one of his primary contacts in Citadel space. The contact is a Spectre named Vasir who has on numerous occasions made use of Shadow Broker intelligence. She is not above misusing her position to provide the Shadow Broker with the odd bit of intelligence or the occasional hit."

"It seems like they don't make clean Spectres anymore." Shepard remarked. "What was her last known location?"

"We have her most recent position localized to Illium. Unfortunately we have no way of actually locating her on Illium." Sira concluded.

"Alright, we have a lead. I want a course to Illium. In the meantime we crack whatever databases we can to get any and all information concerning Vasir, the Shadow Broker, and the Spectre's operations with the Shadow Broker. With any luck we'll be able to find some sort of connection which will tell us where she is."

Morinth let out a derisive snort but set to work. Oriana looked like she was about to say something but appeared to think better of it and instead gave Shepard a quick nod. Shepard turned her attention to her station and the virtual mound of reports that Sira had compiled for her to peruse on Vasir's movements.

...

By the time they had reached Illium Shepard considered herself an expert on Vasir. Better still she had angle for a getting at Vasir. As best as the three organics and two AIs could tell some very sensitive information about the Shadow Broker's location had fallen into the hands of some very indiscrete employees of Baria Frontiers. The two salarians had been so foolhardy as to actually contact the Spectres with the information. Of course the dossier and mission had ended up on Vasir's desk. All Shepard had to do was hope that Vasir hadn't killed the two contacts before she arrived on Illium.

Keeping both of the dreadnaughts out of range of the Illium planetary security grid took some doing but in the end was managed competently. Shepard's fancy piloting coupled with Sira's fabrication of a false transponder for the shuttle ensured that their arrival on Illium went smoothly. After Shepard had set the shuttle down on one of Illium's many landing platforms she hesitated for a moment before stepping on to the planet's surface. To her Illium held some of the best and worst memories of her life. As she stood on the shuttle's gangplank she was joined by Oriana. With a shiver of realization it struck Shepard that for Oriana Illium was the beginning of her whole odyssey. To her it was the debarkation point from ordinary everyday college student to a hybrid of human machine thrust onto the frontlines of a conflict that no one knew about or cared to know about.

"Brings back memories doesn't it Shepard?" Oriana asked whistfully as she stood looking out over the buildings of Illium.

"It does indeed." Shepard sighed.

"If you two are finished wasting your time with pointless reminiscence we have a mission to complete. Every minute we delay increases the chance of us losing our only lead." Morinth interrupted as she pushed by the two on the gangplank.

"She's right you know." Oriana conceded.

Shepard only nodded before following Morinth down the ramp. Their destination was the Baria Frontiers office which was the last known location of their two contacts and one of the most likely locations for Vasir to target. Prior to landing Shepard had already set up a meeting with the two salarians. She had claimed to be interested in the information about the Shadow Broker.

The party had just reached the garden plaza in front of the Dracon Trade Centre when the entire upper story belched out a geyser of angry looking reddish orange flame. The shockwave of the blast hit them moments later hurling the party away from the building in various directions. As Shepard shook her head to clear the ringing in her ears she cast about for Oriana and Morinth. Both appeared to have survived the blast uninjured which was more than could be said for those nearer the blast. Shepard was on her feet moments later sprinting towards the now burning building. With any luck Vasir would still be in the building.

Bashing the wreckage of the front door to the building out of her way Shepard made a beeline for the nearest set of stairs. Ascending the three flights was no challenge to her enhanced physiology but the rattle of gunfire was going to prove more problematic for her. Reaching the third floor and the Baria Frontiers Office Shepard nearly tripped over the corpse of the asari receptionist. The asari had been brutally gunned down with a dozen rounds to the back, evidently as she had been running for the exit. The combination of water from the emergency extinguishers, smoke from the fires which still burned and the fires themselves cast the entire floor in hellish mist. Having reached her destination Shepard proceeded more carefully. With her pistol out she gradually wound her way through the rubble choked hallways of the former office. While she had heard gunfire earlier she encountered no resistance on her journey to the salarian's office.

The door like many of the others she had encountered had fused solid in its supports from the heat of the explosion. Rather than attempting to find a way around Shepard slapped a shaped charge on the door and took cover. The charge did its work and moments later Shepard materialized in the smouldering hole sword in one hand in pistol in the other. The room's occupants were shocked to see her but not shocked enough to spare their captive salarian's life. The trio of white armoured mercs staring at her were irrelevant to Shepard. What had her sole focus was the single asari holding a smoking pistol over the corpse of a tiny looking salarian.

"Spectre Tela Vasir?" Shepard hissed clearly enunciating each word.

"_Former_ Spectre Emma Shepard if I'm not mistaken." Vasir shot back unperturbed by the terrifying armoured apparition standing before her. "What brings you to the Dracon Trade Complex?"

Shepard's lips curled into a predatory smile. "You."

Vasir had the good sense to realize that the predatory smile coupled with the unstable glint in Shepard's eyes was the harbinger of something terrible. Throwing caution to the winds Vasir dove for a nearby window while at the same ordering her men to kill Shepard. As Vasir plunged out of the window she heard the screams of the Shadow Broker's mercs. Moments after landing with a biotic cushioned thump Vasir heard a second thump behind her. Turning to see what it was she was shocked to see a round white object sitting in front of her. She recognized it as one of her mercenaries' heads sans body. Looking up she saw the demonic apparition of Shepard come plunging out of the window in a glowing haze of biotics. Fear seized Vasir and she franticly ran for her skycar in an effort to escape the crazed woman behind her.

Shepard arrived in the middle of the Dracon Plaza in an explosion of biotic power that flattened several nearby bushes and left a small crater. Her biotics flared with a menacing intensity as she stalked towards Vasir. Only one thing seemed to matter to her and that was catching Vasir and extracting the information from her. As Vasir's skycar lifted off from Shepard channelled her biotics to seize the fleeing vehicle in a powerful mass effect field. What once had been impossible to an ordinary human biotic had been made possible through a combination of nanites and will. The skycar groaned under the invisible pressure of the mass effect field as it was dragged inexorably back to the landing pad. Suddenly and unexpectedly Shepard was knocked off her feet and sent sprawling on the pavement. With her concentration broken the mass effect popped out of existence allowing Vasir's car to flash away into the traffic of Illium. Shepard hauled herself to her feet her eyes alight with rage and her sword in hand. Seeing who had knocked her over caused her to start in surprise. Standing in front of her with her pistol drawn was Senni.

"You had better have a very good reason for letting her go Senni." Shepard growled as she slowly circled the other Spectre her sword grinding menacingly against the stone of the plaza. "I came here to capture Vasir but I might not be picky about which Spectre I extract information from. I'll bet that you've had dealings with the Shadow Broker too."

"Easy Shepard." Senni murmured the fear creeping into her voice. "I'm on your side."

"I'm still waiting for a reason Senni." Shepard whispered as she continued to circle.

"I'm running a signal trace on Vasir's communications. If I can couple the trace with the data from the salarians then I can find the Shadow Broker. Without both bits of information we can't find him." Senni explained, recovering her composure.

"For the moment I trust you Senni. For the moment." Shepard replied as she sheathed her sword and headed for one of the other skycars.

"Where are you going?" Senni asked.

"To get the disk from Vasir." Shepard replied over her shoulder. Shepard's comment caused Senni to spring into action as she ran towards the skycar. She was joined by Oriana and Morinth who had finally managed to catch up with Shepard's reckless advance.

As soon as the team was aboard Shepard opened the skycar's throttle and sent it hurtling into Illium's night sky. With Senni's help Shepard was soon hot on Vasir's trail. The two skycars wove through oncoming traffic both of their pilots unwilling to surrender the advantage to their rival. Vasir's luck ran out first as she grazed a long cargo hauler. She was sent spinning out of control into a nearby building. Shepard mirrored her course and brought her mostly undamaged vehicle in for landing close to the smouldering ruins of Vasir's skycar.

As soon as they had landed Shepard was on her feet sprinting towards Vasir's wrecked skycar. By the time that Shepard reached the car Vasir was long gone. Casting about in barely suppressed rage Shepard hunted for some clue as to where Vasir had gone. A trail of bluish indigo blood gave her an answer and Shepard was off once more. Eschewing the discreet approach Shepard simply crashed through the plate glass window of a nearby apartment. Ignoring the stunned occupants, an asari and a human man in a state of undress, Shepard picked up the blood trail once more and stalked through the apartment. She exited onto a rooftop plaza. Her eye caught a flash of movement similar to the blue armour that she had seen Vasir wearing. Vasir was attempting to escape as fast as her legs and wounded body would go. With a snarl Shepard ran after her leaving her companions behind once more. Barrelling through the occupants of a rooftop café Shepard was on Vasir in an instant. Throwing herself into the fleeing asari Shepard tackled her to the ground.

With a brief struggle Shepard came to rest securely atop Vasir. Vasir continued to squirm and struggle to get Shepard off her but eventually her struggles grew weaker from a combination of blood loss and Shepard's weight constraining her breathing. As Vasir calmed Shepard began her interrogation.

"I'm here for one reason Vasir. I want the Shadow Broker. You are going to give him to me. The only choice you have is whether or not I leave you breathing at the end." Shepard threatened in a deadly voice.

"Go screw yourself Shepard." Vasir spat back attempting to hide her fear in bluster.

"Not the best rejoinder when I'm the one on top Tela." Shepard purred enjoying the look of sudden shock in Vasir's eyes. "Now what's it going to be? We do things the long, slow, unpleasant way or we do things the quick and painless way. Choose."

"I can't tell you Shepard." Vasir responded her voice quivering slightly.

Shepard pulled her sword loose and examined the blade before posing her next question. "Can't or won't?"

Vasir shivered underneath her at the sight of the long blade. "He gave me good information. Information that saved lives..." Vasir blurted out.

"And the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Time's up Vasir." Shepard replied as she positioned the blade over Vasir's arm as though she was going to cut.

"Shepard stop!" Vasir begged. "I don't know where he is!"

"Then you aren't much use to me?" Shepard replied coldly as the blade edged toward Vasir's arm.

"I have the data from the Salarians." Vasir blurted out.

"Your corpse will still have the data." Shepard returned.

"Hagalaz! He's on Hagalaz!" Vasir sobbed.

"How do you know where he is?" Shepard asked her blade hovering millimetres from cutting into Vasir's arm.

"I traced him in case he ever double crossed me." Vasir confessed.

"I thought you were supposed to be tough Tela." Shepard mocked. "To think that you would give in to me like that. I think I should take you with me. Maybe make sure that you aren't lying. We can go through every memory in your head one at a time to make sure that you're telling the truth."

"I told you the truth." Vasir whimpered.  
Shepard rose to her feet in a single fluid movement and hauled the wounded Spectre up with her. "You're still coming with me." Shepard promised direly she shoved the wounded Spectre towards Morinth.

"Take her back to the ship. Make sure she doesn't die." Shepard ordered ignoring Oriana's shocked expression.

Senni was far more vocal in her protest. "Tela Vasir is a council Spectre you can't just abduct her!"

Shepard rounded on Senni who instantly regretted her words. With a dangerous smile Shepard drew uncomfortably close to the other Spectre. Without a word Shepard moved to Senni's side and wound an arm around her. Shepard's hand had come to rest on the back of Senni's neck with a thinly veiled threat. Shepard turned her head to fact Senni.

"It looks like I'm not just abducting one Spectre but two." She replied with the hint of a smile.

...

Safely away from Illium and on course for Halagaz with two Spectres as her unwilling guests Shepard shook her head at the turn of fate. As nervous as she was about the upcoming mission to the Shadow Broker's base Shepard knew that there was nothing she could do to prepare. Over the course of her journey she had gone from elation to despair. She knew that she should have been appalled by her cold blooded, single-minded pursuit of Vasir but she couldn't muster up any emotion. Truth be told she was emotionally exhausted. Shepard had left navigation in Sira's capable hands and dragged her weary armour clad self off to her quarters.

An hour later she lay flopped on her sofa a robe loosely wrapped around her body with a half drunk bottle of Elysian Schnapps sitting on the nearby table. The alcohol had helped her to take the edge off her feelings and the edge off of her nearly twelve hour wait before going into combat again. Her eyes were clouded and unfocussed as her mind drifted back to memories of happier times. Her solitary musings in the dim light of her quarters were cut short by a soft footstep. As Shepard glanced up she realized that Senni had escaped her 'accommodation' and was now stalking towards her. Shepard had half expected Senni to escape and had as a result ordered Sira not to hinder her efforts. Senni paused as she drew nearer to Shepard taking in Shepard's weary state and realizing that the other woman was, in stark contrast to her earlier self, no threat.

"Emma?" Senni questioned, using Shepard's first name as though it would elicit a different response.

"Fancy meeting you in my quarters." Shepard responded sarcastically. "Something wrong with the ones I gave you?"

"Apart from having a locked door that I couldn't open, no." Senni responded glibly as she cautiously sat opposite Shepard. Shepard for her part casually filled a second glass of schnapps and ice and handed it to Senni.

"So I suspect you want to question me?" Shepard queried.

"It would be hard for me not to." Senni conceded. "I mean your ship abandoned your crew on the Citadel leaving only the _Normandy_. The Geth simply disappeared as though they had never been there. The council had to declare martial law on the Citadel after the Ferris Fields incident and in the middle of all this you and Councillor Tevos simply disappear. Something bizarre happened and no-one, not even the Councillors, know how to explain it."

"Lucky me." Shepard laughed before taking another sip of her drink.

"What's going on Shepard? Why are you after the Shadow Broker?"

"The far more interesting question is why you were after him." Shepard responded enigmatically.

"_I _was hunting him down to get information about the Councillor." Senni shot back. "_I _was doing my job."

"And I was hunting him down to actually rescue Councillor Tevos from him." Shepard replied mockingly before becoming serious. "The truth is that I could care less if the galaxy burned because Tevos was abducted. The Reapers took Liara and gave her to _him,_" Shepard spat the last word. "Like she was just a bargaining chip to be traded. They gave her to him to be killed..." Shepard trailed off.

"You love her don't you?" Senni asked, the question seemed inadequate to both of them. "That's why you're doing this."

"I wish I could say that I had some high minded goal. I wish could say that I would do this for anyone but I can't." Shepard whispered. "They took the person I love and I realize that I would gladly let the galaxy burn if only to see her again. In the end I'm not any different than anyone else."

The two lapsed into silence after that.

...

The _Voice of Memory _arrived over Halagaz twelve hours later exactly as Sira had predicted. On the bridge Shepard considered the greyish green globe in front of her. Somewhere on that planet was Liara not to mention the Shadow Broker. She turned away from the view of the planet to her unwilling guest. Vasir had recovered somewhat from her ordeal at Shepard's hands. Shepard's mercy had a definite pragmatic bent as she had only treated the rogue Spectre's wounds to ensure that she hadn't died. To Vasir, in captivity, it would have seemed as though Shepard had ignored her during the entire trip. The truth had been far more sinister. Sira, on Shepard's orders, had saturated Vasir's cell with nanites. With every breath the captive Spectre took she ingested hundreds of the invisible machines. Mid way through the journey the nanites had gone to work reading through her memories without her even being aware of it. Shepard was now certain that Vasir had told her the truth about Halagaz and the Shadow Broker.

"So Tela, I trust your accommodations were satisfactory?" Shepard asked venomously as she surveyed her captive.

The manacled Spectre only snorted derisively in response. Shepard resumed her pacing around the Spectre, intent on keeping the asari off balance.

"I will be giving you one chance to prove to me that you are cooperating. Cooperate and I'll let you go on the next civilized planet we run across. Don't cooperate and I'll take you with me to stop the Collectors and after that into Dark Space. I don't think you would survive the first mission but if you did the horrors that await us in Dark Space don't bear talking about. Just so you know, I already know the answer to the question so this is more of a test of you than anything else." Shepard taunted as she reached the end of her circuit. She carefully studied Vasir's face as the asari weighed up Shepard's last statement. When Shepard was satisfied that she was sufficiently doubtful she asked the question.

"The Shadow Broker's ship, where on the planet is it?"

Vasir was silent, evidently still weighing up her options.

"Silence is the equivalent of not answering."

"His ship travels in a thin band of weather between the day side and the night side. The region is full of lightning storms. It makes him nearly undetectable with all the EM interference." Vasir conceded, hanging her head from the shame of having given in so easily. At Shepard's triumphant look Vasir couldn't help but ask her the question that had plagued her. "How did you know already?"

"I infected you with a colony of nanites. They read your memories while you were in my brig." Shepard answered returning her attention to Hagalaz.

"Why? Why ask then?" Vasir asked in confusion.

"You deserved a second chance despite being unworthy of it." Shepard answered cynically. "Prove to me that it was more than a wasted gesture on my part."

After escorting the Spectre back to her cell Shepard headed for the shuttle bay and her waiting team. The shuttle ride down to the planet became progressively rougher and more unsteady as they descended through the storm layer. By the time they reached the same level as the Shadow Broker's ship the shuttle's inertial dampers were having a hard time keeping the crew from being dashed against the inside of the shuttle. Shepard was having a hard time controlling the shuttle itself as the Shadow Broker's base drew into view. The vessel was massive, easily the size of an Alliance cruiser, it was festooned with grounding rods and cooling vanes.

"Shepard, the shuttle's autopilot will not be able to hold the ship in place while we board the Broker's ship. Someone will have to stay behind to keep the shuttle flying." Morinth reported.

"You just volunteered." Shepard replied icily.

"That will leave you with only Oriana to back you up." Morinth informed her.

"Thanks to you Oriana is all we have. You were the one to persuade me to leave Senni behind on the ship." Shepard retorted angrily.

"I'm right here!" Oriana shouted from her position in the passenger bay. "Don't talk about me like I'm baggage!"

"Hold the ship steady." Shepard ordered as she unstrapped herself. Morinth nodded as she took over the controls and drew the shuttle closer to the bow of the massive vessel.

Shepard headed towards the shuttle's ventral access hatch. Oriana joined her looking nervous in the set of armour that Nemesis had provided for her. Shepard motioned for Oriana to seal her helmet onto her head and did the same before opening the bottom hatch. The first thing the two heard was the howl of the wind below them. The view was of storm wracked clouds punctuated by the occasional flash and fork of lightning beneath them. The view soon changed to a relatively flat portion of hull as the shuttle wobbled its way over the bow of the other ship. Without a second thought Shepard dove out of the hatch knowing that she had a fifty/fifty chance of ending up on the hull. Oriana followed her a second later.

The two landed in close succession with a pair of thumps. As Shepard turned her gaze skyward she saw the black form of the shuttle climbing away from them. Doubtless Morinth was heading back to the ship. With a swift hand gesture Shepard waved Oriana forward as the two wound their way along the narrow companionways towards the rear of the vessel. The deck was unsurprisingly deserted given the fierceness of the storm. After climbing down one steep side of the ship the duo ran across their first resistance. A trio of mercs were sheltered from the storm in a small recessed area of the hull. The element of surprise was on Shepard's side as she threw herself at them with her sword in hand. Oriana didn't even get a shot off before the mercs were neatly dispatched. Wiping the blood off the weapon Shepard continued her trudge aft without a word.

The entrance to rear section of the vessel was an imposing blast door designed to resist any explosive that Shepard carried with her. While the designers of the door had counted on assailants using powerful explosives what they hadn't counted on was the shear quantity of explosives Shepard intended to use on the door. She had packed a compact satchel full of the most potent charges in Sira's arsenal before leaving. Oriana had remarked that she had enough explosives to take out a frigate by herself. Shepard had only replied that the door was liable to be, in her words, "a big mother" and might need quite a bit of persuading. Shepard busied herself rigging the explosives to the door as Oriana kept watch. Periodically small teams of mercenaries would appear from further aft and attack their position but they were usually driven off or wiped out to man by a combination of fire from Shepard and Oriana.

Just as Shepard had finished setting the charges - to her immense surprise - the door opened by itself. Just as surprised was the patrol of mercenaries standing on the other side. Their surprise was short lived as they were dispatched by a hail of SMG fire from Oriana. When Shepard turned to confront her Oriana just gave her a nervous laugh. Shepard just gave her a reassuring thumbs up before heading into the bowels of the ship.

The interior was drab, functional, and labyrinthine to the two invaders. Brief periods of combat punctuated the quest through the featureless corridors. As the two passed a security checkpoint Oriana quickly rushed over to bank of haptic displays. Shepard let out a sigh of irritation and followed her if only to keep her safe from harm. By the time she had reached her Oriana had already cracked the first several levels of encryption on the terminal. Shepard blinked in surprise at the young woman's proficiency. She had been sure that attempting to slice the Shadow Broker's security would be a waste of their time.

"I'm in." Oriana reported a moment later. "Apparently these enhancements that Nemesis gave me are useful for something after all."

"Well you don't see me arguing about your combat proficiency." Shepard replied as she scanned the corridor outside the office.

"The base is on full alert but the main barracks is two levels down. I've managed to lockdown the elevators but it won't be long before they're up here with us."

"Good news would be nice." Shepard shot back as another group of guards appeared and opened fire on their position.

"We're only a few hundred metres away from the operations centre. The Shadow Broker is in there." Oriana yelled over the rattle of gunfire.

"At last!" Shepard growled as she dispatched the last mercenary with a surge of biotics. Springing from cover Shepard sprinted for the set of doors down the hallway from the security station. As she reached them the doors opened obediently for her. Throwing caution to the winds Shepard continued her sprint until she found herself in the office of the Shadow Broker.

The creature that was staring at her expectantly was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was larger even than a Krogan and seemed to have just as bad a temperament. Oriana joined her a moment later and gasped as she took in the Shadow Broker as well. As Shepard cast her vision around the office she noticed that there several dozen mercenaries with their weapons trained on her. There was also a single mercenary holding a drell at gunpoint. Liara's memories supplied her with the name Feron. Of Liara there was no sign.

"Emma Shepard." The Shadow Broker rumbled in a deep commanding voice. "Drop your weapons or watch the drell die."

Shepard hesitated for a moment her hand tightening on the hilt of her sword and on the butt of her pistol. The Shadow Broker gave an imperceptible nod and a shot rang out before Shepard could even process what had happened. Feron fell to the ground, dead.

"Last warning." The Shadow Broker bellowed.

Taken aback with the speed with which events had unfolded Shepard reluctantly acquiesced to the Broker's order and lowered her weapons to the ground. With a sigh she pulled off her helmet.

"I see you can be reasonable. This will make things much easier." The Shadow Broker laughed. "Your lover didn't give in that easily."

"Where is she?" Shepard bit back her voice thick with emotion.

"Right behind you. Why don't you listen to her sing for you?" The Broker replied sadistically.

Shepard turned slowly not wanting to believe the evidence of her eyes. Liara was there strapped into what looked like an interface chair. Her face was bruised and her clothes were rags but that didn't seem to matter to Shepard. What had caught her gaze was the slack expression that graced Liara's face.

"She is very much still alive. Though whether or not she is still sane is debatable. Observe." The Shadow Broker added cruelly.

Liara went rigid as several thousand volts of electricity surged through her body. A loud scream punctuated the stillness. Shepard fought to keep herself from weeping openly.

"Your fate is inevitable Shepard. The Reapers will forgive me for stealing their prized councillor if I give them you instead." The Shadow Broker continued. Shepard was no longer listening, moving like an automaton she slowly walked towards Liara's now still form. Her mind slowly broke down as she drew nearer and nearer until all that remained was a deep, burning, need for revenge. She took Liara's still hand in her own and gradually wove her fingers in between those of her lover.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." Shepard whispered.

"Take them away. Her emotionalism is tiring to me." The Shadow Broker ordered coldly.

Two guards slowly advanced on Shepard's unmoving back. As they neared her a jagged shriek of metal echoed throughout the room. It was followed by another rending groan. The two guards turned to see what had caused the noise and realized that the walls of the room were wobbling unsteadily. Turning back towards Shepard they were horrified to see a blackish red corona of energy growing around her. Tendrils of reddish energy arced around her as she turned to face the Shadow Broker once more. Her face had gone from a mask of grief to a serene countenance. What was most shocking was the fact that the thousands of tiny patterns of nanites in her skin were now glowing brightly with the same reddish energy that surrounded her. Her eyes were a pair of deep reddish pits.

"It was a mistake taking away her anchor Shadow Broker." Shepard intoned in a melodious voice that was not her own. "It is shocking what these organics will agree to when they lose their hope. In fact our daughter begged for the honour of being our agent of vengeance."

"What are you?" The Shadow Broker gurgled in fear and surprise.

"We are the ones you betrayed. You thought that you were in control but you made one critical error in bringing her here." Archon continued. "You were also supposed to keep her asari in good condition. You have failed us."

"I can still kill you!" The Shadow Broker roared in rage brandishing his own assault rifle.

"You can try and you will fail." Archon laughed with a carefree ease before her eyes narrowed. "In the end you will die."

"Open fire!" The Shadow Broker bellowed.

To their credit the mercenaries opened fire on the now hovering eldritch form that had been Shepard. The warping corona of energy that enveloped her actually deflected several of the bullets back towards their owners while the rest flew harmlessly into the walls of the chamber. Flinging her hand outwards a series of tendrils of energy leapt from her fingers to incinerate several of the mercenaries. The warping effect of millions of biotic fields suddenly springing into existence in the middle of the crowd of mercenaries caused several to implode and explode under the tremendous pressure. With another gesture a section of hull was peeled back like a sardine can and another dozen mercenaries were carelessly flung into the maelstrom of Halagaz's upper atmosphere. With another casual gesture the rent in the hull was closed once more. Soon the only living beings in the room were Archon, Oriana and the Shadow Broker.

Shepard's lips curled into an eerie smile as she cocked her head at the Shadow Broker. The creature continued to fire its useless weapon at her invincible form. With the greatest of ease Archon used her biotics to yank the weapon from the Broker's hands before lifting the creature from the ground. With a single gesture she flung the helpless broker into the power conduit that had been feeding into Liara's chair. She ruthlessly held the creature down with her biotics as it was subject to the wrath of the storm outside. Oriana had to turn her head away at the harsh vengeance that was being meted out.

Eventually the room was silent once more. As Oriana turned back towards where Shepard had been she was horrified to find Shepard's form a millimetre away from her staring intently into her eyes.

"And what should I do with you young Oriana?" Archon questioned musically with a maniacal lack of concern. "Should I let you live? Should I take you away to the Collectors to fulfill your destiny? Should I leave you to remain Nemesis' lover or should I kill you now?"

"Release her!" Oriana ordered in a voice that was considerably more brave than she felt.

"Why should we?" Archon asked. "She doesn't want to let us go. We love her."

"She embraced you out of grief. It isn't fair and it isn't real." Oriana argued.

"Perhaps you speak the truth." Archon conceded, the energy surrounding her wavered. "But what do I have to live for anymore." Shepard asked.

"Maybe Liara is still alive?" Oriana suggested hopefully.

Shepard paused to consider what Oriana had said before floating gently back towards Liara and settling back onto her feet. After letting out a sigh of relief Oriana joined her. Shepard was in the middle of gently caressing Liara's features with a forlorn look in her eyes.

"So much time together and yet in the end it is over in the blink of an eye." Shepard said wonderingly, a single tear trickled down her cheek.

Oriana ignored her distraught companion and quickly felt for a pulse while silently praying that Liara was still alive. She almost fell backwards when she found a weak but persistent pulse. Looking more closely she could see Liara taking a ragged breath. Shepard saw it as well.

"She's still alive!" Oriana gasped.

With a snap of energy the power that had surrounded Shepard flashed out of existence. Shepard wavered unsteadily on her feet as though drunk, her face had returned to normal once more.

"Still alive." Shepard murmured "Can't cheat the Reaper for ever."

With those two statements Shepard crumpled to the ground with a soft sigh. Oriana let out a sigh of relief before letting out a groan of irritation. She gently hauled Shepard's comatose form over towards the Broker's desk and with an effort flopped her down onto to the tabletop. Shepard had survived her ordeal but it had rendered her totally inert. She was barely even breathing. Oriana quickly jogged back to Liara and set to work freeing her from the chair. Doing a quick medi-scan Oriana was shocked at the amount of punishment the diminutive asari had suffered. Feeling that it was somehow proper Oriana gently picked up Liara and carried her over to the immense desk. She gently set her down next to Shepard's form. While they weren't aware of it at least they were together again.

Oriana's contemplation was shattered by a burst of radio chatter from the console behind the desk. The first voice was joined by a second, both demanding orders and an update from the Shadow Broker. Oriana hesitantly stepped towards the console as more voices began to clamour for instruction. As she neared the console she felt Nemesis' presence in her head.

"You have reached your goal Oriana." Nemesis informed her. "Open the transmission relay and tell them that everything is alright. Ask for a summary of their operations and then close the relay. Become what you were meant to be Oriana."

Oriana was in shock. The prospect that Nemesis had been guiding her towards this moment all the while without her knowing terrified her. All the same she couldn't deny the irresistible urge to do what it said and become someone important. She had wanted to make a meaningful contribution to fighting the Reapers and saving her people. Now she was confronted with the best opportunity to do exactly that. Doubts banished Oriana Lawson touched the control panel.

"This is the Shadow Broker. The situation is under control. We experienced a momentary power fluctuation. We are now back online. Resume standard operations. Status reports from all units are due within the next solar day. Shadow Broker out."


	37. Chapter 37

A/N: At long last the final (real) chapter of the first book. Don't worry there will be an epilogue after this chapter to tie things off and and link us into the next act. This chapter is probably best read as the denouement of the story. While there is plenty of action and plot development I found when writing it that it doesn't quite compare to the epic nature of the previous chapter. Anyway, in this chapter you can expect to see Liara show her possessiveness of Shepard, the 'battle' with the Reaper larvae take a different and less violent turn, and more. As an added note I was very pleased with the reviews I got for the last chapter. Keep it up!

Chapter XXXVI: A Victory Here Is Only The First Step ...

Shepard's comatose form may have looked almost serene in its unconsciousness but appearances are always deceiving. With Shepard's surrender of her physical form to Archon her animus had been swept away to Archon's side. While she had recovered enough control to cause Archon to release her body it wasn't ready to let her go. So it was that Shepard was now stuck in the same place where they had met once before. The twisted doppelganger that Archon had used to communicate with her before was standing in front of her with a thoughtful look on its features.

"So Emma, you have finally acknowledged your destiny." Archon stated with a hint of satisfaction.

"I wouldn't go that far." Shepard replied angrily. "You manipulated me into this situation."

"We did nothing of the kind daughter. Reality is not always as clear cut as you would like to believe. Our kindred are perfectly capable of concocting their own schemes and stratagems. We are not their master." Archon explained.

"So you expect me to believe that you tried to save Liara?" Shepard shot back.

"Liara is a weakness because she is bound to you. The same nanites that course through your blood also run through hers yet this was not supposed to happen. You were our chosen and we have no room for any others. We know what will happen to Liara and it will cause you only pain." Archon stated, the doppelganger's expression turning sorrowful.

"I ... We saved her! What do you mean? What do you know?" Shepard asked the worry overtaking her.

"You must leave her behind. Only you can continue!" Archon replied fiercely.

"I'm tired of all your cryptic comments. Tell me what will happen!" Shepard growled as she grabbed hold of Archon.

"I cannot say anymore." Archon replied its projection dissolving out of existence in Shepard's hands and materializing behind her. "You have set events in motion which cannot be stopped. By allowing us to take control of your form you have also allowed us to begin changing you. If you do not reach us in time you will die. We can sustain the changes at this great distance for a short while only. You must come to us so that we can complete our work."

"I don't want to be changed! I've already lost too much as it is." Shepard replied angrily as she turned to face Archon.

"You will lose much more. We have no choice and you have no choice." Archon concluded. "We will return you to your form. Nemesis will show you the way to us. When the moment comes you will have another opportunity to leave Liara behind. Make sure you take it."

"Wait! I still have questions!" Shepard begged.

The illusion began to dissolve around them and Archon only gazed at her regretfully. Archon disappeared last leaving Shepard alone in the void. With nothing to see or touch Shepard began to panic. It was very close to the oblivion she had sensed when she had died. With no sensations to distract her Shepard became aware of a tugging sensation. It gradually grew more and more pronounced until she felt as though she was going to rend in two. With a rush of sensation she was back in her body. The sensory overload hit her a moment later as she tried to understand the myriad senses that she had been deprived of while she had been with Archon. The overload was too much for her and in a moment she was on her feet clutching her head in an effort to try and make the sensations recede. As she reeled uncertainly her senses did finally begin to stop screaming at her. The roar of input became muted and eventually returned to normal.

Blinking her eyes open Shepard realized that she was still on the Shadow Broker's ship. Someone had moved her into what appeared to be a set of guest's quarters. Taking in her surroundings she also noted that there were a set of casual clothes left neatly piled for her. Realizing that she was still in her armour Shepard decided that a change of attire was called for, if only to help her relax. She changed her armour for the clothes quickly and was out the door in the blink of an eye. All she had were a few hazy memories of what had happened during her confrontation with the Shadow Broker. She remembered ramming him into the power coupling along with the nauseating feeling of pleasure she had taken at the creature's demise. After that she remembered nothing except for a vague sense of security.

Shepard was startled by the greeting of the Shadow Broker's data assistant as she entered the Broker's old office. The room's other occupant shocked her to the core. Oriana had only just turned away from the bank of displays that she had been consulting to greet Shepard. She looked nothing like the insecure young woman who had first joined Shepard back on the _Voice of Memory_. The new Oriana was confident and in control. In short she had become like her sister. She had also changed her attire into a pair of black slacks, a white blouse and a black overcoat making her look every bit her new role.

"Emma! You're awake?" Oriana greeted cheerfully. "I was wondering if you were ever going to recover."

"So did I." Shepard replied noncommittally. "I suppose I have you to thank for the clothes."

"Perks of the job!" Oriana responded glibly.

"And what job would that be?"

"Well I couldn't allow the Shadow Broker's network to fall apart." Oriana answered sheepishly. Her expression turned serious a moment later. "Did I do the right thing? Should I have just left it?"

"When I was your age Oriana I would have said that you should have left it to rot. After having seen what I've seen I can tell you truthfully that you did the right thing." Shepard declared. "We can no longer afford to be afraid of ambition and power. We need both if we are going to survive what is it to come and I need people I can trust to keep the galaxy safe."

"You can count on me." Oriana sighed, the relief evident in her voice. "You make it sound like you're going away."

"That moment is drawing closer and closer." Shepard responded the regret clear in her voice. "All along I knew that I would have to stop the Reapers in dark space before they could arrive here. Once they arrived they would be unstoppable. Now my hand has been forced and I no longer have any choice. I'll be counting on you to mind the fort while I'm gone."

"Why do you have to go?" Oriana asked, perplexed now. "Does it have something to do with Archon?"

"Unfortunately it does." Shepard conceded. "When I go into Dark Space I can't take anyone with me."

"What about the Collectors?" Oriana wondered.

"They are an immediate threat. I can't very well leave them to carry on whatever it is they have planned. I'll be able to manage them before it's time."

"Well that is good news." Oriana responded trying to hide her feelings about Shepard's imminent departure. "I suppose you'll be wanting to see Liara?"

Oriana didn't wait to hear Shepard's response but instead led her down an adjoining hallway towards what Shepard guessed to be an infirmary. Oriana totally missed the pained look on Shepard's face. It was with a reluctant tread that Shepard followed the new Shadow Broker. As she walked she knew that deep down what Archon had said about Liara had been the truth. Shepard wanted to deny it but the truth was that she couldn't. She knew that she couldn't stand to lose Liara again. Her dark thoughts were interrupted as Oriana ushered her into a small darkened infirmary.

"She's well on her way to recovery." Oriana whispered in response to Shepard's unasked question. "The medics said that it would be alright for you to spend some time with her."

Shepard took a hesitant step to the quiet form lying on the bed before her. As Shepard drew closer she was able to perceive Liara's face. It was relaxed and at peace – a stark contrast to the last time that Shepard had seen her. Only the periodic whisper of breath let Shepard know that she was still alive. As quietly as she could Shepard drew a chair over to Liara's beside and settled into it. Oriana had long since departed to leave the two to be together once more.

As Shepard watched Liara she stirred in her sleep. An inaudible murmur indicated that Liara was dreaming. With a careful gesture Shepard took Liara's hand in an effort to sooth her restless sleep. The touch had a soothing effect not just on Liara but also on Shepard. Soon the only sound that could be heard in the infirmary was the sounded of deep breathing.

...

Shepard groggily blinked her eyes open what seemed like mere moments later. Liara was also gradually beginning to wake up as well. With a soft smile Shepard leaned over her lover and gave her a gentle peck on the lips. One of Liara's arms gently wrapped itself around Shepard's back. When Liara decided she had finally had enough Shepard eased back into her seat.

"How are you doing?" Shepard asked automatically.

"Better now." Liara replied with the hint of a smile.

"Maybe I should do that more often."

"Maybe."

"Seriously though, is there anything you need?"

"No. I should be fine for the moment." Liara responded awkwardly. Both women were ill at ease talking about what had happened. "Emma, about what happened."

"I'm sorry Liara." Shepard interrupted. "I shouldn't have put you in danger like that."

"We both know that what happened wasn't your fault Emma." Liara replied seriously. "I want you to know that I don't blame you."

"I can't help but shake the feeling that I was somehow responsible." Shepard continued.

"Look at me Emma." Liara ordered. "I know what you're thinking. I made my choice to be with you and I knew what it meant. I love you and being with you makes it worthwhile. Don't ruin what we have by second guessing yourself."

"Oh Liara," Shepard replied her voice thick with emotion. "You have no idea what it means to hear you say that."

Liara was able to perceive the nuance in Shepard's words that took the comment beyond its simple meaning.

"What is it Emma?" Liara asked in confusion.

"When I found you I did something that changed me. Seeing you like that caused me to give in." Shepard confessed. "I let Archon take control of my actions. I thought you had died."

"Emma." Liara responded brokenly.

"Archon changed me somehow. I can feel it deep down. It also told me that where I have to go I must do it alone."

"It was lying to you." Liara responded angrily.

"I don't think so." Shepard responded with a forlorn shake of her head.

"I don't plan on letting you go that easily Shepard." Liara added hotly.

"What happened showed me something Liara. It showed me that I was willing to do anything, make a deal with anyone to get you back."

"So this is my fault?" Liara responded, shocked.

"No. It never could be." Shepard responded sadly. "To do what I have to do I need to know that you're safe Liara. I want to be with you so much but I don't have a choice."

"So you want me to leave?" Liara asked her voice quiet.

"No." Shepard confessed.

"Listen to me Emma. I believe in you and I believe in what we're doing. I am prepared to fight for what we have." Liara responded fiercely. "I lost you once and I'm not going to lose you without a fight. I'm going with you because you need me and I need you. Let the Reapers cope with that reality."

"How can I argue with that?" Shepard answered her visage loosening slightly from the pinched look of worry at Liara's promise. "You might not look it but you're pretty fierce Liara."

Liara coloured at Shepard's comment. Shepard raised her hands in a placatory gesture.

"It was a compliment."

"Indeed." Liara snorted.

"I love you." Shepard said, quietly as she enfolded Liara in a hug.

"You too." Liara answered as she gave Shepard a tight squeeze.

...

A day later after Liara had convalesced enough Shepard had regrouped her allies on the _Voice of Memory's _bridge. After Oriana had taken up the mantle of the Shadow Broker she had promptly located Councillor Tevos' cell aboard the ship and released her. The Councillor had escaped her captivity little the worse for wear. A medical check had revealed that her brain had not been altered by Reaper technology. The cultists had evidently been surprised by the Shadow Broker's forces before they could actually start work on the Councillor. In addition to the Councillor both of the Spectres were present on the bridge. Senni was keeping a close eye on her traitorous counterpart. Morinth was also there in her role as Nemesis' agent. Oriana insisted on being present in person despite her new responsibilities. Shepard had agreed that it was best if her guests knew nothing of Oriana's new role. Sira was also in attendance given that she was to play a decisive role in the upcoming battle and what was to follow. The final attendee was Liara. She had recovered well and bore the scars of her captivity without comment. The experience and what Shepard had said afterwards had instilled a sense of commitment to their relationship in Liara that Shepard had not experienced before. All uncertainty about where the two stood in relation to each other had disappeared. Liara had been emphatic that the two would face whatever happened as one. Shepard secretly envied her lover's commitment.

As soon as everyone had gathered Shepard addressed the assembled group.

"The Shadow Broker has been vanquished and his resources are now at our disposal. More importantly Councillor Tevos has been freed. Despite our successes our greatest obstacle remains intact. The Collectors and their mission are still a clear threat to all the sentient species of the galaxy. I intend to eliminate them in a single swift strike and send a clear message to the Reapers." Shepard announced.

Tevos shifted as though she was going to say something but thought better of it.

"We know that the Collectors come out of the Omega 4 relay and that no other ships have been able to transit the relay safely except for the Collector vessel. With the help of Nemesis I believe that this ship will be able to transit the relay safely." Shepard continued. "Once on the other side we will first attempt to ascertain what the Collectors have been doing and then destroy whatever ships and installations are present there."

"What about us Shepard?" Tevos asked. "Surely you don't intend to take us into combat."

"No need to get anxious Councillor. I was planning on leaving you with Aria before I left for the relay. Kindred spirits on different sides of an imaginary line one might say." Shepard joked.

"Your impudence is inappropriate Shepard." Tevos shot back, coldly.

"We will be detouring by a Council controlled world. I will be landing you and your party there." Shepard informed the Councillor.

"I would have thought that you would be returning to the Citadel to regroup with your own forces before undertaking such a perilous mission." Tevos questioned.

"Recent information has come to my attention that makes dealing with the Collectors a matter of urgency. My crew will have to fend for themselves a little while longer." Shepard answered, her emotions carefully masked.

"What information have you received?" Tevos prodded.

"The information I have received is, quite frankly, none of your business Councillor." Shepard reprimanded sharply. "I would thank you to remember that you owe your freedom to me and my crew. Gratitude is in order."

The councillor was somewhat chastened by Shepard's comment. It was also clear that people rarely spoke to her in such a way. Still the Tevos was the consummate diplomat.

"I am grateful for all the work that you have done on my behalf Shepard. My only interest is in protecting the people living in Citadel space." Tevos paused before posing her next question. "Given that you are a rogue element Shepard I feel that I must ask you this question now. What do you intend to do after you stop the Collectors? What of our agreement?"

"Unfortunately for you Councillor, I have done all that I can do for that agreement. The cultists are now your problem and I would suggest that you root them out and deal with them quickly. As for me I have an appointment with Dark Space. The chances of us meeting again are slim."

Tevos did an excellent job of hiding both her relief and her irritation.

"You're going to need some help on this mission." Senni interrupted. "I volunteer."

"You do know that our chances of survival are slim." Shepard cautioned.

"Nevertheless I know what is at stake here. Plus we all owe you Shepard. Someone has to balance the equation." Senni answered her without a shred of doubt.

"Glad to have you with us then Senni."

Tevos looked somewhat putout by her subordinate's decision to switch sides.

"Shepard, we will be accompanying you through the Omega 4 relay." Morinth interjected. "We have already uploaded the appropriate navigational data and a tactical plan to Sira. The sooner we depart the better."

"Very well then. Sira, prepare us for departure. Morinth, show the Councillor and Spectre Vasir back to their quarters." Shepard ordered.

As Morinth escorted the other two asari away Shepard turned back to Oriana.

"Well Oriana you had best be getting back to running your empire." Shepard joked, though the humour was lacking.

"So I'm never going to see you again?" Oriana asked, a hint of emotion creeping into her voice.

"Never is an awfully long time. It might no be for a while but we'll see each other again." Shepard consoled her. "In the meantime keep your face to the fire and do what's right."

Oriana nodded before giving Shepard a quick hug. As she was leaving she seemed to remember something and turned back to Shepard.

"What do I do about Miri?"

"That is a decision that I have to leave up to you Shadow Broker." Shepard replied with a cryptic smile.

Oriana gave her a confused nod and a sigh before heading on her way. As she left Liara voiced her concerns.

"What are you going to do about Miranda? You can't very well leave her to fend for herself."

"While we're gone Miranda will have to keep this galaxy in order." Shepard sighed. "It's a lot to ask from her but she's the only one I can trust with a responsibility that stretches over such a long duration."

"I hope someone remembers to tell her that." Liara remarked.

...

It had taken them only three days to arrive in the Omega system after leaving Hagalaz. Shepard had left the Councillor and her somewhat reformed Spectre with a passing asari frigate before continuing on her way to Omega. Now the only thing between her and her goal was the Omega 4 relay. During the transit Shepard had rigorously planned out the mission from Nemesis' intelligence. Upon leaving the relay both ships would be forced to literally plough through a debris field of wrecked ships. The field was littered with autonomous mines but thanks to Nemesis' IFF the mines wouldn't pose a threat to the two vessels. Unfortunately nobody actually knew what the Collector base was like or what defences it would have. In response to this intelligence deficit Shepard had hit on the simplest strategy possible. With two dreadnaughts at her disposal it would be a simple matter to pepper the facility with slugs at long range. Once the saturation bombardment had been completed it would be possible to sweep in and conduct a detailed scan of the facility or a landing should the situation demand it. Shepard had the sinking feeling that there were still many hidden variables to contend with.

The transit had given everyone time to prepare themselves both mentally and physically for the attack so that by the time they had reached the Omega 4 relay the only thing left to do was to actually travel through it. When the moment arrived the bridge was completely silent. Even Shepard was quiet, attempting to fight down the icy tendrils of fear in her gut. Shepard knew that deep down she wasn't afraid of the Collectors though she knew she should have been. What Shepard was afraid of was what a victory would mean. She knew what came after base was far more terrifying and uncertain than anything that she would face in the coming battle. With a silent command to Sira the two dreadnaughts approached the relay.

A single string of data was exchanged between the each of the two approaching ships and the relay but it was enough to send the two vessels hurtling through the void to their destination. The ride was far from smooth as the relay had only ever been configured for the use of the Reapers. The sudden deceleration of both vessels at the termination of their jump was punctuated by the bone jarring thunder of impacts on their barriers as the two ships rammed through the countless relics of their predecessors. The situation did not phase the Reaper in the slightest as it single-mindedly headed for its destination. For the organics aboard the _Voice of Memory_ it was a white knuckle journey where every impact on the barriers might signal their imminent collapse.

On the bridge of the _Voice _there was chaos as the tiny crew fought to plot a course through the debris. As Sira announced the imminent failure of her shields the _Voice of Memory_ exited the field only slightly behind Nemesis.

"Damage report!" Shepard shouted over the chaos of several exploding relays.

"Kinetic Barriers at 15%" Sira announced.

"Damage to the power transfer grid! Our movement is impaired." Liara added.

"Weapons are still fully functional." Morinth concluded.

"I'm fine thanks for asking." Senni added dusting herself off after being floored by the impact of a particularly large piece of debris.

"We are detecting an enemy vessel departing from the station. Apparently the Collectors want to fight." Liara interjected.

"Lock the main weapons on the enemy ship. It's time for payback." Shepard growled. "Fire as soon as you have a lock."

While the Collector ship was a fearsome opponent for any cruiser or frigate built by the Citadel races and even a worthy challenger for most dreadnaughts, against the _Voice of Memory_ it was an annoyance. Against both the _Voice _and a Reaper it was laughable. The opening salvo of slugs from the _Voice_'s main guns blasted towards their target moments after Shepard had given her order. All three shots struck their target ripping through its barriers and shattering the armour and hull of the enemy ship. The single oversized round from Nemesis did its work a moment later as it punched through the holes created by the initial volley and burrowed into the vessel's core eventually colliding with it's mass effect core. The Collector ship disappeared into a nova of white flame moments later.

"Well so much for their ship." Shepard snorted derisively.

"That makes a change in our fortunes." Liara added drawing a scathing look from Shepard. "What?"

"You've jinxed us! You never ever comment on our luck while we're in battle. Afterward maybe." Shepard reprimanded.

"Shepard we have a firing solution on the Collector base." Morinth announced, interrupting Liara's rebuttal. "The central structure around the reactor is heavily armoured. Our weapons might not be able to penetrate it without destroying the entire facility as well."

"As attractive as destroying the facility with our opening volley is we still need to confirm what the Collectors are doing on the station. There might also be survivors."

"We will be sacrificing our best opportunity to destroy this facility in a single strike. Closing in is risky." Morinth chided.

"Load explosive sub-munitions and set them for proximity detonation. We'll crack its hull open and hopefully open a route into the main core." Shepard decided.

Moments later the ship shuddered as another salvo was sent rushing towards the enemy facility. The rounds did their work well as their explosions opened great rents in the station's hull. Chunks of debris went rocketing away from the detonations and fires soon appeared in the damaged areas.

"Well that should keep them busy. Sira, bring us in towards that station and do everything you can to scan it. I want to know what we're dealing with."

"There is something unusual about the station Shepard." Sira interjected. "While the outer hull is unfamiliar some of the internal architecture is familiar. The materials used are also similar to the materials used in my construction."

A half buried memory stirred in Shepard's consciousness. She found herself remembering the echo of the Prothean librarian that Sira had shown them and what he had said about the Ark. Realization dawned on her a moment later.

"The Collectors are Protheans. That station was the Ark that the Protheans built except repurposed by the Reapers." Shepard gasped.

"Goddess." Sira exclaimed softly. "We're destroying what's left of my people."

"Sira? Are you alright?" Shepard asked solicitously.

"No." Sira retorted angrily. "I was created to protect them and now I'm destroying them!"

"Sira, we both know that they're puppets of the Reapers. Killing them is saving them. It's saving them from the abominations that the Reapers have made them into."

"That doesn't make this any easier." Sira shot back.

"It's us or them!" Morinth growled.

Sira paused for a moment as though processing new information.

"I am detecting an energy signature inside the base unlike anything I have seen before. It is likely to be tied to whatever the Collectors have been doing.

"Alright Sira, this is what I propose." Shepard said, adopting her best conciliatory tone. "The crew and I will board the station and track down the energy signature. We'll also see if we can do anything for the Collectors. Maybe they can be saved or something can be salvaged from them to give your people a chance. Should it prove necessary I will destroy the facility and live with the consequences. Fair?"

Sira gave Shepard a quick nod. Shepard quickly turned her attention to the crew.

"Everyone to the airlock. We're latching on to the station and boarding it." Shepard ordered as she headed for the elevator.

Sira had completed the docking manoeuvre by the time that they had reached the airlock. Waiting for them at the airlock was a small arsenal of weapons. Everyone had elected to take everything that they could carry. Shepard had also decided to take a small bit of added insurance with her. A 10 megaton backpack sized weapon was set of to the side by itself. The detonation of such a weapon inside the Collector base was guaranteed to destroy the entire facility. She left the job of carrying the weapon to Morinth. For her part Shepard had selected a compact missile launcher in addition to her sword, pistol and two SMGs. Both Liara and Senni were armed with an assortment of heavy weapons. Senni was casually toting her grenade launcher as though it weighed nothing while Liara looked uncomfortable with the heavy weapon and exchanged it for an assault rifle.

As soon as everyone was ready Shepard touched the controls for the airlock. As they crossed the docking tunnel and opened the hatch to the Collector base they were assaulted by a blast of humid air. The interior of the station was dark, hot and oppressive. Fluid leaked from dozens of ruptures in the organic membranes of the ship. Where there was light it flashed intermittently as the power system of the station struggled to supply the various subsystems of the station. The access ways were all deserted.

"Kind of creepy." Senni remarked as she covered the groups rear. "No welcoming party."

"They're probably all too busy with damage control to worry about us." Liara answered from the middle of the group.

"We're heading for the central shaft of the station. Both the reactor and the energy readings are coming from there." Shepard announced as she took point.

The team made cautious progress through the dark tunnels of the station. The entire time there wasn't a single sign of anyone or anything. They emerged into the central chamber several minutes later. What they saw shocked everyone present.

Hanging before them was what could only be described as a half built creature suspended from a series of pulsing tubules. The construction was distinctly Reaper in nature but the form was obviously human in origin. The creature towered above the tiny figures of the group. To Senni the creature was a fearsome harbinger of things to come. To Shepard it was utterly terrifying for an entirely different reason. Shepard could actually hear the cacophony of voices that made up the souls consumed to fuel the creature's growth. Worse still she could feel the tendrils of nascent creature's consciousness reaching out to embrace her. With a shock she realized that the creature had identified her as a kindred entity.

Shepard stood there trying to figure out what to do when Senni raised her grenade launcher to fire. With a swift movement Shepard batted the barrel of the weapon down.

"Shepard! What are you doing?" Senni sputtered in surprise.

"We can't destroy it." Shepard replied simply.

"What are you talking about?" Senni replied in confusion.

"All of the humans that were consumed by that Reaper are still alive in a way. If we can alter the Reaper's programming maybe we can save them. If we kill it we also kill them."

"How do you know this? All I see is an abomination waiting to kill us." Senni shot back her ire rising.

"Shepard is right," Morinth added. "And wrong at the same time. The Reaper is speaking to all of us now."

"What?" Senni gasped. "I don't hear anything."

"That is because you lack the means to hear. The Reaper wants us to spare it and all the lives that are now part of it." Morinth interrupted harshly. "It is playing on Shepard's doubt and her guilt."

Liara ignored the interplay between the two asari. She quietly moved to Shepard's side. Shepard was lost in staring up at the Reaper before her. Liara took Shepard's hand startling her. Shepard's gaze met Liara's.

"You know what has to happen Emma." Liara whispered. "Let them go."

It took a moment for Shepard to understand. The words seemed to banish her doubts. It was better if both the Reaper and the countless souls never reached full consciousness.

Shepard raised an SMG and pointed it at the Reaper's support structure.

"I'm sorry." Shepard whispered as she depressed the trigger. The burst of gunfire blasted through several of the tubules causing the entire construct to shudder. The rest of the team raised their weapons and proceeded to let loose a hail of destructive fire. Moments later with a rending shriek the Reaper larvae came free and plunged into the abyss of the lower reaches of the station. As it vanished Shepard was left with a whisper of gratitude which swiftly faded into nothingness. She let out a shaky breath. For a brief transitory moment she had seen her own face overlaid on the Reaper's form - a not so subtle reminder of the fate that was confronting her. Shaking herself free of her thoughts Shepard turned back to the team.

"We're done here. Set the bomb." She ordered quietly.

As Morinth set to work Shepard edged towards the abyss and quickly peered over the edge. Only blackness greeted her. Within the blackness something stirred. As she continued to look down she became aware of the buzzing of thousands of wings. In a burst of colour dozens of Collectors came shooting up from the abyss. As the first one blasted by her Shepard was sent flying backwards by the backwash. As she righted herself from her landing Shepard wrenched her SMGs free and opened fire on the swarm of Collectors. Startled by the sudden appearance of enemies the rest of the team opened sporadic fire on the swarm.

"Is that bomb ready?" Shepard yelled over the roar of gunfire.

"The weapon is ready. I have set the timer for ten minutes." Morinth shouted back.

"Everyone fall back to the ship! Steady retreat!" Shepard yelled as she continued to exchange fire with the Collectors.

The group gradually edged its way back the way it had come. While three of the team members laid down suppressing fire the most exposed member would fall back. While the strategy was immensely successful the tide of Collectors showed no sign of abating. The fight was also beginning to take its toll as each team member was injured. First came the superficial wounds as barrier modules failed. Morinth was hit first in the stomach but merely shrugged the wound off. Senni took a shot to the shoulder next as her barriers failed again and dropped her grenade launcher. The group hastily took refuge by ducking into an adjoining access shaft which was temporarily devoid of Collectors.

"Sitrep." Shepard ordered as she scanned her new surroundings.

"I have been injured and require medical attention soon." Morinth stated calmly as though discussing the weather.

"What she said." Senni growled.

"We're running low on ammunition and weapons." Liara summed up.

"We should only be 100 metres from the airlock." Shepard realized. "We can rush it. I'll bring up the rear."

"Emma ..." Liara said.

"No arguing Liara. Someone has to buy us the time to escape." Shepard replied tightly.

"Just promise me you'll make it." Liara responded tightly.

"I promise." Shepard responded tightly before turning to address the rest of the team. "Go! Now!"

The two wounded asari sprinted back into the other access corridor taking the Collectors by surprise. Liara followed moments later pausing occasionally to fire a burst of rifle fire at any Collectors drawing to close to the team. Shepard brought up the rear her twin SMGs bringing fiery death to any Collectors that got too close.

Senni reached the hatch first and took cover in the docking umbilical before snapping off the occasional pistol shot at the approaching Collectors. Morinth followed her moments later. Liara was short distance behind them. As Shepard spun towards the door she watched Liara cross the threshold back into the _Voice of Memory_. Time seemed to slow down as a dark shape obscured her view of the entrance. Shepard collided with something very solid. She was sent sprawling against the ground the wind knocked out of her. As Shepard looked up she saw the familiar glowing form of a possessed Collector.

"Shepard!" Harbinger hissed malevolently. "I will make you suffer for what you've done here."

The Collector loomed above her but Shepard was past her fear of the creature. With a swift motion she yanked her sword free and in a blinding movement rammed the weapon into the Collector. She quickly yanked the weapon free before rolling out of the way. The collector exploded in a burst of fire leaving only a fine wind of ash.

"You never learn." Shepard muttered as she hauled herself to her feet sprinted to the airlock.

Joining her teammates in the umbilical the weary team stumbled back into the airlock of the _Voice of Memory_.

"Sira! Get us out of here!" Shepard rasped as she yanked her helmet off. "Time to detonation?"

"One minute." Sira shot back.

Like most military vessels crash webbing came standard in certain areas of the ship. The airlock was one such region. Shepard quickly grabbed Liara and rushed her towards one of the emergency brace points. Yanking the crash webbing around them Shepard braced for the impending detonation.

"Are we going to make it?" Liara asked as she latched on to Shepard.

"To close to call." Shepard responded nervously.

"If we're down to seconds then be with me now." Liara whispered urgently as she grabbed Shepard and kissed her. Shepard could only hold on.

Deep inside the Collector base the timer of the bomb silently reached zero. The base erupted in the white hot fire of a fusion explosion. Silhouetted against the white inferno were two motes of darkness. The vessels were locked in a race against the oncoming shockwave. The first vessel to reach the relay was the black mass of the Reaper. In moments it was hurled out of harm's way. Slightly behind it the _Voice of Memory _hurtled towards the relay every engine blazing as brightly as the hell behind it. As the first greedy tendrils of the approaching shockwave reached out to envelop the fleeing ship it reached the relay. In an explosion of energy the _Voice of Memory _leapt away from the flames leaving the Collectors, the relay and the graveyard to be immolated in a fiery pyre.


	38. Epilogue

A/N: See the next chapter for the afterword.

Epilogue: The Homefront

If we do not live another day,  
Say this over our pyre:  
They died like Spectres  
With their faces to the fire.

-The Unwritten Hymn of the Citadel Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Division

For Miranda Lawson the past several weeks had been hell. First Shepard, Liara, and the asari Councillor had disappeared. The very same night both Nemesis and Sira had unilaterally decided to slip their moorings and leave. Miranda could have cared less whether or not Nemesis and its asari thrall had decided to slip away in the night. She would simply have said that deals with Reapers were always guaranteed to end badly or that may well have been what Persephone thought. What had really gotten to her was the fact that Oriana had gone with them. Without so much as a word her sister had disappeared.

While she had been attempting to wrap her own mind around the suddenness of the disappearances she had been called before what was left of the Council to answer their questions. They were questions to which only Shepard knew the answers and which Miranda would have dearly liked to ask her. In the end it had been three wasted days of confinement and interrogation before the Council had decided that she and the crew didn't actually know anymore than the Council did. As it turned out the Geth had intervened on their behalf by saying that any forced confinement of Shepard's crew would invalidate their recent treaty and may lead to open conflict. For machines they were prone to being melodramatic. By the time Miranda had been released the Geth were long gone leaving only Legion behind to explain what had happened and he wasn't much help.

It had been with a hint of desperation that Miranda had pulled the crew together and taken the Normandy out to search for her sister, Shepard and the rogue Reaper. The search had proven to be a pointless and desperate matter. EDI had known nothing about Sira's plans apart from the fact that Sira had told her to look after the crew. There had been no trail left to follow by the two dreadnaughts. The occasional sighting reports that Miranda received were always out of date and sometimes even conflicting.

The final lead had taken them to Omega where they heard that Councillor Tevos had escaped her captors and returned to the Citadel. No mention had been made of Shepard or Oriana. Miranda's few remaining contacts reported having seen the _Voice of Memory_ stop over at the station for a few hours. The ship had been, as they put it, looking somewhat the worse for wear though just as lethal as the first time it had passed by Omega. No one had seen or even heard of Shepard being on the station. Even Aria had been at a loss when Miranda had asked her about the incident.

So it was with a heavy tread that Miranda made her way back to the Normandy and back to her quarters. She had entered the door and started to peel her uniform off when she realized that there was something wrong. Someone else was in the cabin with her. Miranda instantly had her pistol in her hand sweeping the cabin. The barrel of the gun came to a halt when confronted with the room's other occupant. The asari was casually sipping a glass of alcohol that she had purloined from the bottle on Miranda's desk. She looked completely nonplussed by the gun pointed at her.

"You know pointing guns at Spectres is generally a crime." Senni remarked casually.

"Might I have your name before I have you thrown off my ship?" Miranda ordered frostily.

"Funny, I thought the Normandy was Shepard's ship." Senni replied calmly.

"And what do you know about Shepard?" Miranda interrogated.

"A few things." Senni concluded dismissively as she stood to leave.

"You can sit right back down and start telling me about them." Miranda barked as she waved the pistol menacingly.

"Can't seem to make up your mind." Senni sighed as she sat back down. "First you want me to leave now you want me to stay."

"Tell me about Shepard then you can leave." Miranda ordered as she settled down opposite Senni, the pistol still pointed firmly in the direction of the asari.

"We haven't been formally introduced but I know who you are. Miranda Lawson – former agent of Cerberus now executive officer to Shepard."

"Well now you have the advantage." Miranda joked dryly.

"Hardly." Senni laughed. "I'm Spectre Senni Vensa best known, to you at least, for shooting your CO in the leg back on the Citadel."

"Well that helps."

"Ahh but what you'll find really interesting is what I've been doing more recently." Senni replied with a twinkle in her eye. "Dear Emma was kind enough to invite along on her mission to destroy the Collectors. Before that I was a guest in her brig. Those certainly were good times."

"So how did you get here?" Miranda questioned sceptically.

"She left me here to pass on a message to you." Senni replied simply. "She said you would make your way here."

"What about my sister?" Miranda asked her voice steadier than she actually felt.

"I'm sorry? Your sister?" Senni responded, genuinely confused.

"She would have been a young woman in her twenties with dark hair. What happened to her?"

"I remember her." Senni said, her countenance brightening with recognition. "She was there when Shepard first found me on Illium. I didn't have much to do with her though. She wasn't with us when we attacked the Collectors' base."

"So you don't know what happened to her?" Miranda blurted out in shock. To have come so close and not to know was unbearable for her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help." Senni answered a sense of genuine apology in her voice. "Shepard gave me an OSD for you. Well she gave me an OSD for each of the crew but she seemed pretty emphatic about you getting this one in particular. You should watch it."

Senni stood and handed Miranda the OSD she had been playing with throughout their conversation. As she headed for the door she turned back to Miranda seemed about to say something but decided against it. Senni left just as silently as she had arrived leaving Miranda alone looking at the OSD.

Eventually Miranda rose to her feet and went to the computer terminal at her desk. With a decisive movement she plugged the OSD in and dimmed the lights. After a brief moment of gloom a life sized hologram of Shepard wavered into being in the middle of the room.

Shepard looked as though she had aged since Miranda had last seen her. Her face was weary and scarred to the point that some of her cybernetics were visible. The image of Shepard seemed to steel herself before beginning to talk.

"By the time you get this message I will be gone. The reasons why are irrelevant suffice to say that I made a mistake and now I have to pay the price." Shepard seemed to pause before continuing. "Oriana is safe which is what I'm sure you really wanted to know. I wish I could tell you more but what Oriana is doing now requires secrecy. If she feels that it is safe and necessary she will fill you in on what has happened. If not then try not to worry about her. I know this is a cold comfort but it is all that I can offer you."

Shepard sighed before continuing.

"You must be pretty angry with me right now. I wish I could have been there to answer you person and I wish I could have given you answers. Unfortunately all the answers that I could give you would only lead to more questions. Our hope is that we can stop the Reapers in Dark Space. This journey that I've undertaken is the first step towards that. I don't know what I'm going to face which means there's a good chance I won't succeed or won't be making it back. That leaves me with one request to make of you. I need you to finish what I started. You have to fight the most difficult battle of all: the home front. I need you to make sure that people don't forget about the threat. I need you to make sure that alliances are in place to defend the people of this galaxy in case I fail.

You might be saying to yourself that you aren't up to this and that you aren't the hero or the great leader. The truth is that you are just as much qualified for the job as I was. Do you know what the qualification was?" Shepard asked rhetorically with a whimsical smile. "Being in the wrong place at the right time. The truth is that you are a capable woman Miranda. You have proven to be a true friend to me. I am grateful to have known you."

Shepard paused again and shook her head.

"So there it is. The fate of the galaxy I leave in your hands. I give you this unenviable responsibility with you and a promise. When the time comes, when we face our one last battle to hold back the night I promise that I will be there with you no matter what. Promise me that you'll be there too."

With those final words Shepard's hologram gradually dissipated into a thousand motes of light leaving Miranda alone with her duty. In the privacy of her quarters Miranda allowed herself the weakness of tears. Her mind alternated between exhaustion and rage at what Shepard had said. In the end all that was left was a sense of loss. Shepard was gone and Miranda was left with her duty. A duty she had never asked for and never wanted. It was a duty that few would help her with and fewer still would be grateful for. Despite it all it was the most necessary duty of them all.

In the darkness of her quarters Miranda whispered to herself "When the time comes I'll be there at your side Emma. I swear it."

The End

For Now ...


End file.
